The Joker's Labyrinth
by LJ4wat
Summary: Luna is as strong as a policewoman can be. Mentally ? and pyshically. What happens when she gets caught up in the Joker's sadestic ways of having fun? If he's interested, he won't let down. Joker/OC
1. Time to shine

"Please, I need you to be there!" an anxious Harvey Dent begged his wife-to-be Luna Dawes. He may have been the new district attorney of Gotham, he may have appeared on television several times, but he seemed to have a slight sociophobia

Luna laughed and stroked his face intimately, "you are the most unbelievable man I've ever met!"

"Is that a good thing?"

She chuckled, "It's not a bad thing."

"So that's a yes?"

"That's a nono"

"You need to get out of the house! Away from your father."

"I need to stay home to look after my father." Luna's father was unemployed and could not afford to keep up his payments, so… _dah dah dah...! _He magically appeared into Luna's apartment, making himself comfortable as quickly as anyone ever could. He used to be a hard-working man, but turned into a sloppy beast. He sat on the sofa most days, eating whatever Luna made him. Making the occasional phone call to a concerned Rachael assuring her everything was well in the house.

"Your father needs to move out of you're house. He's digging you lower and lower."

"I can handle it."

"And he's turned you're apartment into a pig's sty."

"True…" Luna used to try hard to keep her apartment clean, but gave up; knowing that giving a shit only angered her father.

"_Stop being so picky, I'll clean it up myself. _

_What the fuck are you implying? That I'm sloppy? _

_Stop being so mother-fucking perfect. You can take your fakeness off when you're here."_

Of course he never cleaned up is own mess, but all the mess of the house…was _his._

She sighed, "Look, just because I love you, and all that cheesy jazz, I'll come with you."

"Your amazing!" he kissed her tenderly, "you can bring Rachael if you wish."

She shrugged. "Probably."

*****

Luna got to her door and fumbled with her keys singing merrily, she may have given up a fight to Harvey's party plan, but she was secretly glad to be getting a night out.

She inserted her keys into the door. She pushed on the door casually. It jammed, "Shit, don't do this…" she kicked it aggressively and it swung open and a loud bang could be heard from a successful hit of the book shelf. "Better!" She grinned and walked in.

"What the fuck are you trying girl?" a growl came from the sofa direction.

"Don't worry Dad, the door just got stuck again."

"You woke me up, the one time I get to sleep in days, and you create a racket coming in from work. Aren't the police supposed to be sensitive?" Luna worked for Gordon. She enjoyed her job, nothing special, but she still paid her share to society.

"Yeah, yeah." This was the usual shit. A few complaints about how awful his health was, and he needed his sleep lalala…

She went to the fridge her stomach growling. "Dad have you had anything to eat yet?"

"Do I look like a man with a full stomach?" Luna glanced to his bulging stomach pointedly, then sighed. His grumpiness explained it all.

"How many times have I told you to get up and make yourself something if you're so hungry. You don't have to wait for me to come home." She could get so pissed at his attitude sometimes. She may be providing him with a home, but she was NOT his slave.

"Well you're all too happy to leave me starving ain't ya? Ungrateful bitch. I brought you up from when you were a baby, and since you were a fucking midget, I did it alone." Luna and Rachael's mother hanged herself after being threatened by the mob. It still stung the sister's to think about it. Her father was barely affected; he was too worked up making sure the girl's had a decent life. Yeah he actually gave a shit back then.

"Complain to Rachael will ya? At least I'm trying."

He grunted in reply, moving only to scratch his privates.

Luna took a box of micro-chips and threw them at her father absolutely disgusted at this rude gesture, "for fuck sake Dad, that is disgusting. Make your own dinner; they're done in the microwave. Even a simpleton like you can manage it." She stormed out of the house, letting her anger get the better of her.

She didn't bother explaining to her Dad that she was going out the following night. If he didn't like it, tough. He was going to have to start getting used to it. She was planning on going out more often.

Harvey was right, being kept up in her cave of a home, was not good for her health, and having a dreadful father lurking there, was not helping her self-esteem issues.

*****

Rachael Dawes and her sister Luna were in their limo enjoying some champagne and gossip.

"I heard Batman's got a killer thrust" Rachael was in shrieks of laughter after only two glasses. Drink always got the better of her.

"Really? How the hell would anybody know that?" Luna rolled her eyes at her sister's trivial words. She couldn't wait to tell Bruce what was being said about his Bat character.

Rachael frowned a second, "you're right! How could anybody know?" She giggled.

"Really?" Luna faked astonishment, "Perhaps we oughta get out now otherwise you'll be pissed in no time." She was already tipsy. She would be throwing up through the party if they didn't go in now.

"But Bruce doesn't get here 'til another fifteen minutes babe."

"Its not about Bruce, its about Harvey, and he'll be wondering where I am. Let's go." She grasped Rachael's arm tightly and dragged her out of the limo.

*****

Harvey was as suspected waiting for Luna anxiously, nervous that she wouldn't show.

When Luna arrived he brightened, kissing her on the cheek. He greeted Rachael politely and then eyed Luna lovingly. She looked beautiful. He narrowed his eyes at the gloves however, which stretched to her elbows. He reached to remove them.

"You don't need these love, you've got beautiful arms…"

Luna snatched away glaring at him. "I do fucking need these, don't touch me again." She stalked off in a huff leaving Harvey and Rachael behind with puzzled faces.

She roughly took a glass of wine from the table and downed it. She felt guilty. Harvey didn't know about her 'problem'. She grasped a handful of shrimp and chewed quickly in thought. Nobody was to know about it. She didn't want anybody to think her weak in any way. She was far from it.

She looked around for something less fishy to eat and spotted chicken skewers. "Yummy…" she ate three in the space of a minute. Using the sticks to pick out the remains in her teeth.

She downed another glass of wine. "Stop!" she thought furiously. She was comfort eating and drinking. Not that it would put any weight on her, due to high metabolism, but people were staring at her, she must have looked like a pig.

She stalked off to the toilets in an embarrassed hurry.

She looked at herself in the mirror. What the hell was she doing here? She lived in a dingy apartment with her monstrous father and she was dining with rich people. She felt disgraced at herself. Even Rachael belonged here more than her. She was a lawyer.

But what was Luna, a meaningless police officer.

She removed her gloves tracing a few recent cuts. She wasn't big into self-harming, but her father had reduced her to it a few times. Only on her arms though. As long as she wore long-sleeves or in this case long gloves, she had nothing to worry about. "I'm going to stop, I'm going to stop for Harvey."

She heard screams coming from the main hall and shots in the air. Her stomach knotted in panic. "Shit, shit shit…" she replaced her gloves and ran outside. She converted in mind from that of a lady to that of a police officer; it was her time to shine.


	2. Party Pooper

**Sorry about the last chapter, no Joker present. He'll be present from now on. Here we go…**

When Luna ran into the main hall everyone was silent. They were standing in a row to the right of the room. All looking in the one direction. All looking at what…?

Luna followed their gaze and her heart leapt to her mouth with fear. The man halting was the Joker. A dangerous man seen on television so often for his crimes.

Luna instinctively ducked behind the nearest table. Why was he here? It was just a private party to celebrate Harvey's successes… It hit her, 'Oh God, Harvey…' she whispered.

She peaked at the scene with one eye. Harvey was nowhere to be seen. Luna assumed he was in safety and was close enough to following him and abandoning the party. "No!" she demanded herself. She was a policewoman; she could do better than this even with this dreadful man. She eyed him nervously trying to sum up what to do.

The Joker was tall with broad shoulders. He wore a thick purple blazer and purple trousers. His face was painted white, with black around his eyes and red lipstick or blood (nobody could be certain which) on his infamous scars.

"Well, hello beautiful!" he was walking slowly towards Luna. Her stomach tightened. _'Oh shit.'_ The Joker however was not looking at her. Then who…?

Rachael was standing a few metres away, her arms folded across her chest. Luna wanted to scream at her to run, but realized that would be the stupid thing to do. She would only draw attention to herself and ruin any chance of rescue.

"You must be Harvey's uh- squeeze." The Joker advanced further raising his switchblade for emphasis on his intentions.

"That's right." Rachael stood firm, trying so hard not to show her fear, but it was etched all over her face.

"Rachael you stupid bitch!" murmured Luna. Rachael was being noble, but idiotic. The Joker would carve her into mincemeat.

He passed Luna, not noticing her sitting on the floor behind a table. He reached Rachael and began circling her, eyeing her up and down. "You look nervous, is it the scars? Wanna know how I got 'em?" He didn't wait for an answer however, he grabbed Rachael's chin, "come here."

Luna felt vomit rise in her throat. She couldn't sit here and do nothing. She reached into her bag for the gun she carries everywhere with her. She panicked on finding it wasn't there. If she didn't do something soon she would be walking out of the party with a plate of sausages for a sister.

She cursed under her breath, crawled backwards preparing for a good old-fashioned rugby tackle. She stood up and screaming ran at the Joker full speed, her heels clicking loudly. He turned around in amusement only to be hit by a shoulder and flown across the room.

Luna had fallen to the ground with the strength of the collusion. "Ow…" it had hurt her more than she had suspected. She stood up quickly and grabbed Rachael by the arm, "what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Are you an idiot? He thinks I'm you!" Rachael protested. Luna was angry, but Rachael seemed to be furious. "At least with my approach he might have kept me alive for a while, but fucking rugby tackling him? He's sure to kill you!"

"I don't anyone to protect me Rachael! Damn, he would have killed you anyway!"

The Joker's henchmen ran to the Joker's aid, but he irritably waved them away. He stood up furious at have fallen so easily and looked to see if Batman was on the scene. Instead he saw two bickering women. They were both yelling furiously at one another. One was the one he had been threatening earlier, but the other one just magically appeared. She was quite small and slim. She seemed to have some small muscles in her arms, but not enough to be considered masculine. Her navy dress was tight on her frame, and enhanced the length of her beautiful neck. She had blonde hair tied in a knot and by the enormous bruise appearing on her right arm, it must have been her who knocked him flying.

"Seriously?" Rachael shrieked, "Well now he'll kill us both!"

The Joker started manically laughing and all heads turned to him. "My, my, my what have we here? Another beauty!" He slapped his leg and wiped an invisible tear from his eye. "This is so rich!" He skipped merrily towards the two women, followed closely by the men in the clown masks.

Luna stood in front of Rachael protectively, her hands clenched into fists. "What are you doing?" Rachael whispered into her ear. "Shut up!" Luna whispered back.

"So… what is uh… your name?" He menacingly twirled his blade in a gloved hand. Luna glared at him with an utmost hate. 'If only I had laser eyes like superman' she thought. He laughed, advancing too quickly for Luna to react. Her pressed the blade against her voluptuous lips. "I asked you a question missy!"

Luna looked at the blade and raised an eyebrow; "it's been a long time since I've been afraid of knives." He stared at her puzzled and then slowly looked at her gloved arms.

"Ah ha!" he laughed again, "A ho ho ho!" He removed the blade and clutched his side, stamping his feet enthusiastically.

Luna's heart was beating quickly in her chest, why was he laughing at her gloves?

He stopped abruptly and signaled for two of his henchmen to grab Rachael. "What are you doing? Get off me!" she struggled and screeched. "Luna!"

Luna went to save her sister when a pair of arms grasped her waist and the Joker, her two arms. "Hey! What the hell? Get off me!" panic gripped her insides, "let go… NOW!" she screeched.

"We seem to have touched a rough spot…haven't we Nigel?" the Joker patronized.

"Sure have boss," grunted a reply close to her ear.

She screamed with rage and bashed her head off the guy holding her waist. He grunted with pain and his fingers weakened their grip. She struggled again, but was still unable to wriggle free.

"A ta ta ta!" the Joker hushed her. "Now, why would you be wearing these?"

She glared in response.

"Oh, still silent? I'll uh… have to find a way of making you talk sometime. Well… I don't think you're wearing these for fashion. I think…" he began sliding the gloves off, "they…. are…. for…covering…. something…." She growled with frustration and squirmed angrily trying to wriggle out of his grasp. She didn't want anybody to see this.

He pulled them off triumphantly and with no effort. "Ah ha! Ah ha ha ha!" He caressed the engravings on her lower arm. Luna flinched to the notice of the Joker. He patted her face, "aw shush shush shush shush!"

'_How dare that bastard touch me!'_ She kicked him in the groin area, an "ooof" from the Joker told her she hit her target. She twisted her body and bit the neck of 'Nigel' whom had tightened his grip on her waist. "Arrgh!" He used his arms to push her off him, enabling Luna to get away.

She ran in direction of where she left her handbag, she must find her gun. It has to be there. She reached the table she had been hiding behind, then froze at a voice behind her, "a little fight in you, I like that." She felt his presence getting closer until he was almost touching her.

"Then you're gonna love me." Batman punched the Joker in the face. He fell from the impact. '_I'm becoming a floor magnet,' _he bitterly thought.

The men in masks were throwing themselves at Batman, attempting to bash his protected head in. Batman however, was able to throw each of them off.

"I'll call for reinforcements!" Luna shouted to Bruce. "Rachael, get out of here!"

Rachael didn't need told twice; she took advantage of her freedom and spilt towards the elevator.

Luna found her mobile within seconds and began furiously punching in Gordon's number. "Luna, what's wrong?"

"Gordon, get here right now the Joker's ahhhh….!" The Joker dragged her by her ankle towards the windows and shot one, shattering it into small shards.

Batman stopped fighting the Joker's goons to concentrate on the new commotion. He had Luna by the arm and had her dangling out of the window.

The Joker laughed, "believe me Batsy, I'd rather not, but lets let you decide eh? Take off your uh…mask-uh and little uh… Luna?" He glanced down at her struggling, smiled and continued, "survive-uh."

The blood from a recent cut traveled down Luna's arm, it was stinging so much. He had to hold her on that one spot didn't he?

"Let her go," the husky voice commanded.

"Very poor choice of words!" the Joker laughed and pushed her, Batman literally flew across the room and then jumped out the window after her.

The Joker laughed some more and then leant to hear if she screamed. He wasn't disappointed. Luna may not be afraid of heights, dying or falling, but the current situation she landed herself in terrified her senseless. Batman dived and caught her just in time to land on a car bonnet.

"Aw!" the Joker mocked. He opened his jacket and pulled out an empty tube. He stuck two fingers into it and allowed some of Luna's blood trickle slowly into it. He only needed a little, when he had a few drops in the tube, he stashed the tube back into the safety of his padded blazer, licked the remains of the blood of his fingers. "Mmmm."

******

**Sorry if this is a little boring. A whole scene taking up a whole chapter wasn't what I intended, but I changed it at the last minute, to put in some more detail. Xo **


	3. Paper Cuttings

Batman escorted Luna home as to ensure that no further harm could befall her. He doubted the Joker would attempt anything involving Luna. Bruce was convinced that he only used her as a pawn to escape from his clutches. He was so close to catching him. _'Damn.' _

"I know what you're thinking…" they had reached Luna's apartment door and she turned to look at Bruce in his mask. "You should've just let me fall Bruce."

"No."

"Yes, i… it's my fault he got away." The guilt she felt was unbearable. That man was free to kill because she showed a weakness.

"No…"

"Yes Bruce! I'm so furious with myself! If only I… I… handled the situation better then…"

"Luna don't tell yourself that. It's not your fault. Anybody in my position would have saved you."

"Bruce, you honestly know that's not true." She looked at him and placed a hand on his face. "Anybody else would have killed him or beat him with something heavy to prevent him from killing any more innocent people."

"Well I'm not 'anybody else'" and with this, he walked away, evaporating into the shadow of the stairway.

Luna could not help but smirk at this. "Yeah, way to be obvious." She opened her door in the usual routine, inserting her key, the door getting jammed and then a furious kick being delivered to send the door flying.

Luna's father did not even glance in her direction. 'Must not be talking to me,' she happily thought. He was sitting closer to the television as he usually did. He seemed eerily preoccupied.

Luna walked to the sofa and looked at the painted face on the television screen. She felt vomit rise in her throat. Fear constricted her even more than usual. The Joker leered into the camera showing a row of yellow teeth. Luna felt even more guilt lay on her chest, he had did something terrible in the past hour, she didn't want to find out what.

"I'd rather you didn't watch this Dad," she leaned over to switch the channel.

The lump on the sofa moved with surprising speed and snatched the remote off her.

Luna was taken aback, "Uh… didn't you hear what I said? I'd rather you didn't watch this."

He glared at her, "I find this interesting," then continued to watch the news.

He obviously was oblivious that the man he was watching with 'interest' had tried to kill her.

She stomped in front of the TV and stood with her arms crossed, "this man just pushed me out of a window in an attempt to escape from trying to kill my fiancée," she said coolly.

"Get out of the way girl," he hissed leaning forward menacingly.

She felt rage boil inside her, "uh…this…man…attempted to murder…ME! Dad! ME! And you're just concerned about your fucking TV time!"

He looked at her for a moment and then, to Luna's absolute astonishment chuckled. Chuckled! "Aw, well… you must need a glass of wine then, go get me one while you're at it." He pointed in the direction of the kitchen, chuckling to himself. The Joker had really outdone himself! Perhaps this ought to teach his 'girl' something.

Luna hesitated, but then retreated to the kitchen to fetch the wine. Mixed emotions swirling in her mind. _'He just laughed at me.' _She got the bottle of wine from the fridge and walked back into the dingy living room. _'He fucking laughed at me!' _

"Arrgh!" Luna screamed and smashed the bottle over the large head visible on the sofa. Her father was dizzy for a moment and then collapsed, his body slumping. Luna stood panting from her rage and the force of the blow, the smashed bottle grasped tightly in her hand. She hadn't a clue what to do now.

*****

"How is Miss. Dawes?" Alfred asked politely setting a tray full of delicious food on the coffee table in front of Bruce.

Bruce sat with his handsome face sitting in one hand. "Which one?"

"Well…both, but I think you know who I was referring to Master Wayne."

"Rachael's fine, she escaped and is at home safe and sound."

Alfred stood a moment gazing intently at Bruce, when he realized he would say no more he prompted him, "and…our future Mrs. Dent?"

Bruce looked at Alfred through his trance. He didn't like the way he said, 'Mrs. Dent' so obviously. "I'm not sure. Yet." He looked away and gazed out of the window at the spectacular view of Gotham city. Somewhere, The Joker was planning his next assault and he this filled Bruce with frustration. He couldn't even start to contemplate whom he was targeting next, where he was hiding or when he planned to strike next. The mystery was infuriating.

"Yet Sir?"

"Meaning, I intend to find out Alfred." Alfred took his cold tone as a cue to leave, so he did just that, giving Bruce Wayne the freedom to lull in his thoughts.

*****

Luna gasped as she dropped her extortionately heavy father outside her door. She rubbed her aching muscles and stared down at the mess on the hallway with a mix of triumph and hate. She finally did it. She kicked her father out. She was free.

As happy as this should have made her, she still had a clouded mind. Right now, she didn't know what to think of the situation. Her father lay there, his head turned sideways, his mouth agape. He looked so pathetic and…revolting.

She closed the door before she could change her mind. "Oh!" She quickly ran to the kitchen and back again, dropping paracetamol tablets on him with distaste, "your head might hurt a bit in the morning."

*****

In an abandoned building in the outskirts of Gotham, the Joker viciously chopped the heads of various politicians in the newspapers with scissors, laughing manically each time.

Two of his henchmen standing guard at the door watched with interest. "He's like a little kid," one said as the Joker stamped his feet with laughter.

"That's a bit of a sick kid," replied the other.

"Yeah… look at him! He's laughing at himself." They both stared at each other puzzled. Each day that went by, introduced another weird trait of the Joker. He never surprised any of them.

"Ohhh! Look at you Dent! Aren't you handsome?" he giggled. He reached into his pocket and whipped out his switchblade. He slashed the page with fury. The men watched in horror as he continually swiped at the newspaper.

After what seemed like hours, he stopped, placing his knife back into the safety of his pocket. "Not so handsome slashed up are you?"

He raised the newspaper in the air and watched with amusement as it fell in shreds to the floor. "Boys, I think I uh…might need another-ah newspaper."

**I hope i'm getting better :) Its very hard to fit all of my thoughts in. Xo**


	4. Pressure

The Joker sat in a dingy armchair with his feet on the coffee table in front of him. He twirled his blade between his fingers lost in thought. The Joker wasn't a thinker. He didn't plan ahead and he didn't mull over the past, however… he discovered something of interest recently.

"Boss?" a broad shouldered thug stood at the doorway requesting permission to bother him.

"What-uh?"

"Tim Faulder's here."

"Ah…" a weedy-looking fellow squeezed past the thug with great difficulty. He grinned weakly at the Joker, but when received a deadly glare in return cut to the chase.

"The woman you threatened is called Luna Dawes."

The Joker yawned with disinterest, Tim smiled out of fear again and then continued, "She is currently engaged to your friend district attorney Harvey Dent, not her sister Rachael Dawes as you mistook."

The Joker blinked, _'That explains why she defended her.'_ "Carry on-ah."

"She works in Gordon's office Joker sir…she lives in a dingy apartment near the port."

"Address-ah?"

"I d….don't kn…know sir."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW?" the Joker roared. He was on his feet now, a tight grasp on his switchblade.

"I…I couldn't get that information. I thi…think that because sh…she's a police woman h…her p…personal information is protected." There was a deadly silence. The Joker stood staring at him with his brown shallow eyes.

"You are telling me… that I'm going to have to call to every door near the port to get access to this girl."

Tim nodded slowly grimacing slightly as he knew the reaction he'd receive.

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH! I asked you for information and you can't even give me her address-ah. I'll have to go to someone else-ah to find out."

He briskly walked past and out of the door. Tim shuttered as he brushed his shoulder. "Dispose of this trash Bob."

"With pleasure," the enormous black thug replied. He lifted Tim off his feet and above his head. Tim squeaked with fear as he was sent flying across the room.

*****

A week had passed since Luna had 'disposed' of her father. She had never felt happier in her life. Her apartment had cleaned up nicely and she loved inviting Harvey back to 'her' place.

The Joker made no appearances since the week before so Luna's job consisted of helping Gordon organize files and getting to go home early as there was hardly anything to do.

After a relatively short and cheerful day she returned home. She kicked open her door _'I really ought to get that fixed' _and received no complaints from noise. She looked around her cosy apartment and sighed compassionately. She grinned, "I love my home."

She scratched her exposed arm. Her recent cuts were quickly healing. There was no point hiding it from Harvey anymore. She had decided to stop and it took no effort to do so. She felt great that she could wear short-sleeved tops.

****

Harvey wished things were going as easily for him as they were for his fiancée. Things were looking up for her. Of course he recently found out that she had been self-harming, but as soon as she kicked her father out of her home she felt no need to. He had been right; her stress was all related to him. He was still worried about her so in his last visit he removed all the blades from her house; Sharp knives, scissors and the scalpel he found rooting through her purse. He wasn't being over-protective; he had to make it easier for her. Although she didn't need to self-harm at the moment, something triggering could pop up.

Harvey was still a prime target for the mobs and not to mention the Joker. It was no surprise to find out that the Joker had trashed the party Bruce Wayne had held for him. It didn't surprise him that he was trying to kill him. It did surprise him however, that Luna was pushed out of the window. He knew the scum of the city was desperate for his head, but he never even contemplated that Luna and/or her sister would be dragged into it as well. When informed he immediately sent protection to Rachael's home and attempted to do so with his beloved. Luna would not allow it. She was a police officer and if she couldn't look after herself, no one would do it for her.

He was under so much pressure trying to find out where the Joker was and what he was up to, never mind having to worry about Luna as well. So…he paid a man to keep watch on her, not a stalker mind you, just a man who lived close by and could keep an eye on her until she entered her home. Behind her door was her private life and Harvey wasn't stupid enough to try to interfere.

He had to turn down going to Luna's to watch movies, as he was up to his eyes in complaints from citizens regarding Batman. Most believe that he's in league with the Joker, not trying to capture him. Harvey trusted Batman, as Gordon trusted Batman. In a recent visit from the 'masked vigilante' he advised him to try to stay low, but it was obviously helpful if he came when the Joker was terrorizing.

*****

Bruce was under as much pressure. Alfred had to keep a close eye on him as he often took fits of rage (especially in his sleep) and would punish himself. It was difficult to understand what was happening in Bruce's mind at that current time. It was filled with worry, frustration, anger and angst.

The media took regular shots at Batman, attempting to make him out as a criminal. It succeeded in a sense. A lot of people didn't trust him anymore. Of course not. The Joker was still free and there was no information on his whereabouts.

*****

Luna padded across her hallway in her pyjamas and slippers humming merrily to herself. She had ordered Chinese and was planning on sitting in and watching DVDs. Harvey was supposed to have joined her, but Luna sympathised with how much work he had to do. She knew she shouldn't have Chinese food as it was high in salt and could slow her down in the amount of physical work involved in policing, but she had a soft spot for it.

Someone rapped the door. Luna looked through the peek hole and forcefully opened the door when seeing the deliveryman. "Yum!"

He laughed at her, "I know you enjoy Chinese food Luna."

"Oh God do I!" she couldn't help giggling. "Alright how much?"

"Eight forty-five." Luna handed the man his money and took the bag from him. "Cheerio!"

"Enjoy!" he saluted.

She kicked the door closed and danced her way to the counter. She set the bag down and searched for scissors to cut the bag open. She couldn't find any. "Ah well, I'll make do with my nails." She turned the bag round and prepared to dig her nails into the plastic, but stopped. Something was attached to the bag and it wasn't the paycheck.

She removed it curiously. It was a card. A joker. Just an ordinary joker card. "Weird…" she murmured flipping it over with her fingers. She gasped and dropped the card.

Staring up from her floor was a red smiley face. The Joker's trademark. _'Oh God, he knows where I live.' _Panic gripped her heart. The Chinese deliveryman…?

She hastily picked it up and examined it closely. _'Is that blood?' _She lightly touched the grin and sniffed her finger. No scent. She then tasted it, "Blech!!" It was blood all right.

"Shit."


	5. Quitting

Luna sat in Gordon's office frustratingly sorting out criminal records. She wanted to be out there where the action was, not doing his paperwork. "Fuck!" She slammed her fist down on the table hard, knocking all of the papers onto the floor. She sighed and started to pick them up.

"Something wrong?" she felt two arms snake around her waist and a light kiss on the side of her neck. She pushed him off her reluctantly.

"Not now love, I'm 'busy'"

"Yeah, you look it." he sat down beside her. "What's Gordon got you doing?"

"Paperwork."

"Not fun eh?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's paperwork Harvey, how much fun can it be?"

"Well it's all you can do for the mean time." He patted her leg lovingly and stood up again. He examined Gordon's office with a screwed up expression.

She stood up too and faced him, her arms folded across her chest. "What do you mean it's 'all I can do'?"

He turned and looked at her anxiously "Er…I mean tha…"

"I'm not crippled. There's nothing wrong with me. I can walk perfectly fine." She demonstrated walking.

"Look I…"

"I can talk fine, as you can hear."

"I know but…"

"And I can punch, kick and shoot fine." She punched the table and aimed a high kick at the pile of papers she spent all day doing. They flew around the room. She wrenched out her gun and shot numerous times at the pages fluttering slowly to the ground. There was a deadly silence. Harvey could still almost hear the gunshots ringing in his ears. She stretched out her arms stating a point and sat down again, her head in her hands.

Harvey sat down beside her. He wasn't sure what to do or say. He clicked his tongue nervously. "I'm sure that took you hours to do."

"Yeah it did."

"Hmmm…" he picked up a sheet of paper and glanced at her threw a bullet hole. "I don't think Gordon will be pleased."

"Fuck him."

"You don't mean that."

She looked up at him trying to look angry, but she couldn't help the tears welling up in her eyes. "I know." Harvey pulled her into a tight embrace. "He's the closest thing I've had to a father. He cares about me Harvey." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"We all do."

She sniffed. "Oh god I feel like such an idiot."

"Its okay to cry."

"No…no its not. It makes me feel weak." She pulled away from him and smiled shakily. "Can you tell I'm upset?"

He kissed her nose, "not at all."

*****

When Luna arrived home the phone was ringing. She ran to pick it up, "Hello."

"Luna, I've been ringing you for ages. Where have you been?"

"Sorry Gordon, was doing some shopping." She put the bag down on the coffee table. "What's up?"

"We got the results back from that test."

"What test?"

"The blood test." Luna didn't respond. Gordon sighed, "God's sake Luna. The blood from the card."

"Oh." She almost forgot about it in her aggravating day at work, but then remembered. It was the whole reason she was doing all that boring stuff anyways. "And…?"

"It _was_ your blood." Luna nodded even though she knew Gordon could not see. She knew it was her blood. Everyone knew. The fact that it arrived at her door made her a new victim. She was just hoping…that maybe… there was a slightest chance that it wasn't.

"Well if it wasn't I would have had to kick your ass for giving me all that paperwork to do today."

"Oh yeah about that…." Luna swallowed, "you didn't do a very good job."

"I'm not cut out as your secretary Gordon and I'm not being paid to be it either."

"You're _paid _to do as I tell you to, not to shoot the whole damn bunch. Now I'm gonna have to replace all those criminal records."

"Sorry…" she sighed ashamed of herself. She should be able to control her emotions better. She was a woman for God's sake.

"I expect you'll do a better job next time."

"Yes boss."

*****

The Joker was agitated and bored. He had to kill three of his henchmen to contain himself. Well…his blade just twitched. That's what he told the surviving fear stricken men who had watched. He giggled and turned on the T.V.

His favourite channel had to be the news, mostly because it showed the horribly attempting District Attorney trying to reassure everyone that everything was alright. He hadn't done anything mildly interesting recently so was causing the whole of Gotham to sit on the edge with unease.

"Oh lookie here boys…. it's me-uh!" he sat on the edge of the battered sofa and clapped his hand in mock excitement. He glanced at the door and around the room. It was empty.

"Well…they're gonna miss something good."

"_There is still no sign of the Joker's whereabouts and the suspense is killing us." _

The Joker laughed, "not quickly enough-uh."

"What's more is that he has seemed to make a threat against our very own district attorney's fiancé Luna Dawes. Luna found a joker card attached to her chip shop bag…"

"Chinese. Stupid woman."

"…which had her own blood sprawled on the back of it in the shape of a happy face. Not only is this a shock to her in itself, but also her father was found a drunken mess on the doorstep of our news station. He claimed that she hit him over the head with a glass bottle. Ouch Luna. If these accusations are true…"

The Joker could not contain his laughter at this point. That sounds like the same girl all right.

The men downstairs heard stamping on the floor above and the Joker's laughter echoing throughout the tattered house. They looked up for a moment and then continued to watch the football.

"Haha! I simply cannot wait any longer!" he switched the T.V off and went to make some preparations.

****

"Gordon!" she power-walked into the station seething with anger.

Everyone turned their heads at her entrance. Gordon walked towards her and raised his hands, "I know…"

"How did the press find out?!"

"I…" he closed his mouth and shrugged, "I really don't know."

Luna smiled at Ramirez politely as she walked past her. She nudged Gordon, "I need to talk to you."

Gordon nodded and followed Luna into his office, glancing at Ramirez as a beckon to follow.

"I'm quitting work for a while."

Gordon blinked at her. "Uh…"

"I think it would be best for me. My work status with you isn't helping my current situation and the press won't let down about this until the Joker's behind bars or I'm dead."

Ramirez opened her mouth to speak, but Luna silenced her, "I'm having a distressing time. I'm not quitting forever, just until this blows over."

"I understand." Gordon replied quietly.

"You do? Oh thank god." She hugged him.

"I'll still be keeping an eye on you though. You're not safe."

"Thanks Gordon, but I can take care of myself."

**Sorry for the delay, I wasn't sure how to introduce certain plots. I'm going to try to do the next chapter in the next day or so. ** **It's about to get intense. xo**


	6. Chaotic means of transport

Luna spoke to Harvey on her mobile phone, "It's not like I've got nothing to do. Y'ano my cousin Denise? Her teacher's asked me to come in and speak to them about my career and my education and that kind of thing."

"Which school is this?"

"Oh its very small, just outside Gotham. 'Wednesday's School for Disabled Children.' Ever heard of it?"

Harvey scratched his chin on the other end of the phone, "Oh yes! I don't recall knowing anybody who goes there though. Is your cousin disabled?"

"Yeah, she's got a slight learning disability. The school is very helpful for her. She's improved in her speech greatly."

Harvey smiled, "That's great. Look, I've still got tons of work to do and I better get to it. Consider yourself lucky Missus."

Luna laughed, "Yeah. If you consider having a mass-murdering sociopath clown trying to kill you luck, I must be soaking in it."

"Haha, have fun."

"I love you! Mwah!"

Harvey hung up, a smile still etched upon his face. He heard a snigger and turned to see Gordon's men grinning at him. "What the hell are you gawping at? Get back to your jobs!" Harvey shouted angrily.

They all grumbled, a few of them made kissy faces at him before getting back to their work.

"Two-face Harvey or what?" Ramirez muttered.

Luna rubbed her hands from the cold. _'Why didn't I bring a pair of gloves?'_ She sighed. The first cold day they have had in months and she doesn't bring any gloves with her. She looked up and down the street. What was taking the bus so long? The timetable said 12:45, she was sure of it. She checked her watch again, "1:05," she tutted angrily, "I don't have time for this!"

She blew in her hands and pulled her coat up against her neck.

"Ah!" The bus came round the corner and finally came to rest at the bus stop. Luna jumped on, "Running late?"

"Yeah," the bus driver replied, "We ran into some errors. The returning times are all changed."

"Oh," Luna frowned.

"Yeah, you planning to get the bus back lady?"

"Yep, at 2:30."

"We don't have another bus coming round 'til 3.00."

"Damn…" she grabbed her ticket, "thanks."

****

"Children we have a special guest today. Isn't that nice?" The children nodded. "Her name is Luna Dawes, she's a police officer in Gotham. I'd like you all to be nice to her okay?"

Luna sat in the centre of the room and the children surrounded her in a semi-circle. She felt slightly nervous, she felt like she was a freak at some kind of circus. "Er…thank you Miss."

"Oh please call me Diana!" the thin teacher had a huge grin on her face. Everything about her looked strained, her hair, her smile and even her whole structure. Luna would feel sorry for her if she wasn't acting so happy-go-lucky. It was rather sickening.

"O-k." Luna glanced at the children. There must have been about 20. The ages ranged from what looked like 4 year olds right up to the late teens. She spotted her 10-year-old cousin and grinned. Denise ignored her and continued talking to her friends. _'How rude,' _Luna thought angrily.

"Right, children. As you know my name is Luna."

"Duh…" a snotty boy said from the side.

"And I have worked with the police for about five years now…"

"Really? How old are you?"

Luna was in fact 26. Not old at all and she didn't think she had worked as a police officer very long either. She glared at the speaker and continued, "When I was younger I wanted to be an art therapist, but I discovered I don't have the patience." Luna and Diana laughed, but Luna cut short when she just received a various amount of cold looks.

"Aren't you funny?" The class mocked. Luna stood up and with complete shock found that the speaker was Denise.

"Excuse me Denise, you might think you're amazing in front of your friends, but outside school I know you're nothing short of a loser. You'd be best not to try my patience." The class gasped. Luna didn't mean to sound so harsh, but these kids were really pushing her buttons and she wanted to let them know how tough police officers can really be. Besides she wasn't going to take shit from her little cousin.

The teacher opened her mouth to speak words of protest, but Luna cut her off, "I like being a police officer because I like doing my duty for the city of Gotham which I have learned to love…"

"And because you like taking your anger out on other people…" the snotty kid muttered.

"What?" Luna turned and folded her arms.

"Darrel hush!" the teacher hissed.

"What? It's true!" he exclaimed.

"You might want to listen to your teacher."

"Are you threatening me?" the kids may have had mental disabilities, but they weren't stupid.

"Yes, yes I am. I'm glad to see you realize that I'm not very tolerant and will not take this shit from the likes of you!"

"Miss. Dawes! They're just children!"

"Well they should learn to respect those who are to be respected then shouldn't they?"

There was an awkward silence. A mousy-looking boy at the back who had remained quiet the whole time spoke at last, "I knew I recognized you!"

Luna frowned. "You know me?"

"Yeah!" he tried to jump out of his wheel chair eagerly, but nearly fell. "You're that woman. That woman the Joker's after!"

Luna froze. Other children looked puzzled and then all their faces lit up, "Yeah! You are!"

"He's going to get you and teach YOU a lesson." A child with a deformed face laughed viciously.

Diana tried to shush them, but they kept chanting, _"He's going to find you!"_

Luna didn't know what to do. She felt light headed.

"I have to go," she muttered and ran from the building.

****

She felt ashamed sitting by the window on the bus. They were just children. _"Children?" Her inner voice laughed, "They were manipulative little brats."_

She couldn't believe that they got to her so easily. What was wrong with her? Was she so afraid of him? She didn't think so anyways, but the time when he pushed her out of the window must be still affecting her.

She watched various cars go by. "I wish I had taken a taxi," she muttered. She observed several passengers listening to their ipods. She sighed.

A bright light caught her eye in the distance. It was an ominous glow in the gradual darkening streets. Luna stood up and ran to the front of the bus to get a better view. It was a fire. She searched her pockets frantically. Her mobile phone wasn't there. "Shit, I must have left it at the school…" She definitely had it when she got on the bus the first time. "Great…" she muttered, why did she lose everything when she needed it most?

As the bus drew closer other people stood and gawped at the scene. It was a fire engine. _Was _being the key word. It would no longer be able to perform heroic duties for the people of Gotham. It looked like it had exploded. She gulped, beside it was a white truck and a man standing in…purple?

"Oh…fuck! Stop the fucking bus!" The driver kept going, however.

The Joker jumped into the truck and ordered his men to drive.

"Are you fucking insane?!" Luna screeched. "That's the fucking Joker! He's going to crash into you!"

"He's not going to crash into me. Calm down. We'll get someone to phone the fire brigade and the police and get this bastard behind bars where he belongs."

Luna grasped the bus driver by his shirt and hissed, "This is not the time for you to play the hero. He's trying to kill us."

People seen how close the truck was coming and realized it wasn't going to stop. Various people whipped out their mobile phones and dialed 999 in panic.

"Not going to help!" Luna shouted and she ran to the back of the bus and held onto a bar. It would receive the least impact in the….

CRASH

People flew everywhere. Luna bashed her head off a bar and groaned in agony. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The windows made contact with many people's heads, shattering into blood soaked shards. The bus driver was flown at lightening speed out the window, like a rag doll.

Everything settled. Luna tried to lift herself off the floor of the bus, but couldn't. Her head felt very heavy. She groaned and lifted a hand to her head checking for signs of blood. The moist on her hand told her affirmative.

'_The Joker…'_ she forgot about him. She pulled herself to her feet using the bar to stable her. Everything was fuzzy. She suspected she had about 30 seconds until she conked out and collapsed. She staggered down the isle of the bus tripping over many things solid. She was afraid to look at the damage he had caused. She got to the door and felt it frantically. '_Thank God'_ was all she could think; the door must have been blown to pieces by the impact. She would never have been able to find the button in her delicate state.

She stumbled out and felt the cool breeze hit her face. She put her hands out, expecting to hit the concrete hard, but instead landed on something padded, solid and soft.

She felt two hands on her back and she opened her eyes. Although her eyesight was fuzzy she saw two black eyes on the face of a ghost staring straight at her. "No…no…no NO!" She feebly punched the shoulders of the Joker desperately, but she was too exhausted. The last thing she heard before blackness overwhelmed her was the laughter of a madman.

*****


	7. A nice Shower

Luna groggily opened her eyes. How long had she been out? One? Two days? She hadn't a clue. Even now her mind was confused. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, hitting something solid. A wall. Where was she exactly?

She sat up in attempt to look around her, but immediately regretted it. A sharp pain in her forehead forced her down again. She grunted, "Perhaps I ought to remain here…" She craned her neck slightly in attempt to observe where she was.

She seemed to be lying on the floor. '_A filthy floor,'_ she added as she wiped her hands on her jeans in disgust. There was a sound of running water coming from an ajar door to far left of the room. A large bed was about a foot to the left of her and to the right… _'Bingo!' _ A door was about seven metres away.

Luna rolled onto her stomach and crawled on her belly in the direction of the door. She must have looked like such an idiot. She certainly felt like one. This was mildly uncomfortable for her wriggling across the dirty floor of what seemed to be an abandoned apartment. She had to take this slowly in risk of hurting her squished breasts and alerting the person present in what she thought was the bathroom.

She heard a sudden crash and crawled faster in panic. Now she really felt like an idiot. _'Almost there…'_ A foot stomped on her back with all its weight. "And where would you be going-ah?" Luna arched her back in pain and struggled to breathe.

She felt herself being slammed into a near-by wall. "Ow…" She tried to find something to grip onto, as she had no balance. She pushed her palms against the wall and stared angrily at the advancing clown.

He towered over her petite frame. _'He's a lot taller than I remember…'_ Luna gulped. She couldn't do anything but stare with her large green eyes.

The Joker placed his hand on the wall beside her head. "You're a late bird."

Luna blinked, "Wh…what?"

"I said," he growled, "You…are…a…late…bird-ah." He smacked his lips together. Luna wanted to recoil with disgust, but she doubted she would be able to melt through the wall to do so.

He grinned flashing all his yellow teeth. His infamous scars looked strained against his powdered white skin. Her green eyes met his dark brown ones, which were barely distinguishable due to the black shadow he applied around them.

Luna was positively terrified. He was a lot scarier in person; even his aura gave off dangerous waves. What did he want with her? Would he push her out a window again? She glanced to see if there were any windows in the room. There was only a small one above the bed. She almost sighed with relief.

The Joker gained the reaction he was looking for and walked away towards the bathroom. What a confusing man. Luna frowned, "What do you want with me? And what did you mean by a 'late bird?'"

He stopped and turned menacingly.

Luna repeated the questions only with more viciousness, "What the hell do you want with me? And what the hell _did _you mean by my being a 'late bird?'"

In a flash he had Luna's neck in a tight grasp. "You should really stop with the uh…questions." Luna gasped like a fish, she couldn't…breathe. He looked at her wriggling body and licked his lips again. "And with it…the attitude-uh."

He walked away again leaving Luna spluttering angrily and gasping for breath. She massaged her neck with one hand and placed the other on the wall for support. How dare he even _try_ to strangle her. "So…is that the way you work eh? Threatening, then walking away?"

Big mistake. She could feel the deadly silence warning her. _'Luna, you are an idiot.'_

Luna hardly had time to ready herself when he had her by the hair and was dragging her towards the bathroom door. "JESUS!" she screeched.

Her scalp felt like it was about to be torn up. She scratched at his gloved hands and tried to stop him by dragging her feet. To no avail. He was too strong.

He opened the shower door and shoved her in with force. Luna grunted as her head made hard contact with the tiles. "Christ! My fucking head!"

He slammed the door shut and pressed his face against the frosted glass. "I'd hardly think-ah he's going to save you." He disappeared leaving a printed version of his face on the glass.

Luna's chest heaved as she leant against the shower-wall. There was a deadly silence. His printed face stared at her with a constant smile. He was away somewhere, but Luna could still feel his presence. She contemplated testing the door to check if he _was_ present in the bathroom, but was too much of a coward. She feared what he would do to her.

The shower turned on and ice-cold water gushed out of the showerhead. "Ah!" the shocking cold caused her to cry out. She rushed for the shower door and tried to open it. The Joker pressed his face against the glass again and laughed his horrific manic laugh. She noticed his purple hand keeping the door shut. She pulled with all her strength, but it wouldn't budge.

The Joker continued to laugh at her. Luna wanted to cry. The water was _freezing. _Colder than ice, colder than being out in the snow stark naked. It was so cold it was painful.

She kicked it and slapped at the place where the Joker had pressed his face. He recoiled slightly and laughed again. He visibly waggled his finger at her. "Ah ta ta ta." He turned his back on her and pushed against the door and changing the hand holding the door shut. He leant on his left hand, his back still pressed against the door.

Luna continued to slap the glass and kick and scream, but the more she did so, the more the Joker got his satisfaction. The more he laughed.

It was painful for her to touch anything. She had frostbite. That was obvious. Giving up, she slid down the wall and sat with her knees against her chest and her head between them. The water rained down on her neck and head. The rest of her body was spared the coldest drops. Her clothes were soaked straight through and she shivered violently. She had never been so cold in her life.

After what seemed like centuries, the water stopped and Luna heard the door opening. She refused to look up, clutching her knees for any scrap of warmth.

The Joker stood at the door and laughed. "Haha! Look at you! How much are you shivering?! Haha!" He continued to laugh, slapping his leg for emphasis. His laugh was ringing in Luna's ears. She refused to look at him still.

He stopped laughing and frowned, stepping into the shower and kneeling beside her. "WAKEY WAKEY!" he shouted.

In normal circumstances this would have scared the shit out of Luna, but her muscles were too tense to even flinch.

"Hmm…" he mocked thinking. "Aha!" He grasped her arm tightly and pulled her to her feet.

Luna yelped. Her whole body felt like it had a thousand needles jabbed into it. The arm, which the Joker held, was going to fall off any second. Luna was certain of it. She looked at him with expressionless eyes.

"Now I've got your attention-ah." He grasped Luna's chin with his other hand. "Have you learned your lesson?"

She glared in response.

"I said, HAVE YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON?!" he pinched Luna's chin even harder.

"Ye…y…ye…. yesssssssss…sssss." Her teeth chattered painfully.

He pulled her out of the shower and pushed her into the next room. She landed with a pathetic thump and lay there on the ground.

"Well, look at you!" He laughed, "I've made you a beeaa-utiful shade of purple-ah." He waited for any sign of movement, but seeing none grabbed her again and dragged her towards the bed.

She was as limp as a doll. She couldn't even wriggle a _little_ bit to lessen the burning of her fragile skin as she was dragged across the carpeted floor.

He propped her up, making her lean against the bed. "I'm sure you'll stay here." He observed her shivering body. "You know the saying…_freeze-ah!_" He then walked off laughing his crazy socks off at his own horribly un-funny joke.

*****

"What would you have me do Alfred?" Bruce was in the warehouse contemplating Luna's current predicament.

"Endure." He replied calmly.

"You're asking me to endure this?" Bruce shouted, "How is it possible to endure this?!"

He received no reply and continued, "Luna's out there somewhere, receiving only God knows what sort of torture. Or…perhaps the Joker's already killed her! How can I possibly endure that Alfred?"

Bruce grasped his hair with his hands. It would have seemed a rather manic gesture if one was present to witness it. It was true; Batman was stressed over the limit.

"He won't have killed her. You said so yourself Master Wayne."

"Well I didn't think she would be made a target either." He stood up and took a deep breath, "What does this maniac want with her? She's innocent after all."

"She's Harvey Dent's fiancée…"

"Yes I know!" he shouted and then calmly continued, "she should not be any interest to him. Capturing her doesn't kill Harvey for him does it?"

"Master Wayne, some men think its good sport…to watch the world burn."

There was a thoughtful silence, but Alfred broke it pointedly, "And I'd appreciate it, if you ate your eggs before they get cold. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day." With this he left the room.

Bruce looked at his plate; his expression, as if the plate of scrambled eggs magically appeared there.

*****

"Honey I'm home-ah!" the Joker chuckled to himself darkly. "Are you still where I left you?" He walked to the end of the bed and crouched down at where the girl was still shivering. He rolled his eyes; she had retained the protective 'cupping of the knees position.' "Are you still sore-ah?"

He slapped her both of sides of her face, "Earth to Looooo-nah!" She flinched. He gently took one of her hands in his own. She tried to recoil, "Ah ta ta ta." He slapped her face again.

The Joker brought her right hand up to his face and then to Luna's astonishment started to suck on her fingers. He placed a finger in his mouth and curled his tongue around each one in turn, starting off with the smallest. In any other situation this would be beyond disgusting and Luna would punch him full in the face, but oddly it was helpful. His breath and saliva was warm on her frozen fingers.

When he finished with one hand he moved onto the other, repeating the same action. He never took his eyes off Luna's face which held what he assumed was an attempt at a frown.

He finished and stood up, tilting his head to the side like a confused animal awaiting a response. She strained her neck to look up at him.

"You'd be warmer if you uh…got into bed-uh." He then stalked off to. Luna followed him with her eyes until he disappeared into the bathroom. She then groaned as she stretched her arms and prepared herself for a painful attempt to get into the bed.

*****

**I enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Xo**


	8. Reasons

Luna groaned as she attempted to peel herself from the sheets of the bed. She had no idea how long she slept for, but it didn't feel like long enough. Her eyes felt like they were hanging out of her head with tiredness.

She had removed most of her clothing, bar her underwear. It wasn't a good idea, she thought, to wear a full set of wet clothes into the Joker's bed. _That _would make him even madder. Nobody enjoys sleeping in a wet bed, why would he be any different?

She sat up. Her head felt better, but it still pained her to make any sudden movements. She touched her skin. "Eeeek…" it still had a burning sensation. _"That bastard," _she thought, but her full anger wasn't in it. She was angry with herself more than him. She just couldn't keep her mouth shut. She couldn't keep her anger to herself and look where it landed her. In his bed, half-naked and in pain.

She looked around. Her wet clothes weren't present. Of course they weren't. She knew they wouldn't be. Obviously he didn't want her to put on her clothes. Unfortunately that meant, that she had to walk around in wet underwear. "Thank god they're black," she muttered. If they were white, she would be in a lot more discomfort.

She winced as she placed her feet on the ground. It felt like she had really bad pins and needles. Standing up, she was surprised to find that she wasn't cold. She thought the cold would last an eternity, but the blankets warmed her up, just like the Joker said they would.

Luna looked at the bed, but didn't panic when she saw that there was a wet patch where she had been sleeping. Well it was inevitable that the bed would get a _little_ bit wet. The Joker must have known this surely. He shouldn't feel the need to kill her just yet, he wouldn't have suggested getting into bed if he would get angry over something as trivial as getting the bed a bit moist.

She walked to the bathroom, double-checking that he wasn't there, but when she caught her reflection in the cracked mirror, she couldn't help but walk in fully to gawp at herself.

Her lips were blue. Seriously, blue. She pressed her fingers to them and was shocked to find how numb they were. Her eyes followed her fingers straight back to her arms. They were a dark shade of pink. She then checked her legs, which were also pink and her feet, which undoubtedly were also _pink_.

"Holy…" she was frightened now. Was her skin permanently damaged? Would she get skin cancer? Would she have to get her limbs amputated? She shuddered at the thought. This was not good.

She rushed back to bed again and pulled the covers up to her nose, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling she had because of wearing wet underwear in a wet bed.

Luna's eyes brimmed with tears. She felt a boiling bubble of hate rise up in her chest. A hate directed at the Joker. She didn't even know why she was here. The suspense was terrifying and the deadly quiet of the empty room was a lot worse. Not to mention her body felt like it would _never_ heal. Why was this happening to her?

She drifted back to sleep in her angst and thoughts.

*****

Luna awoke startled. The room was very dark, but she could however, make out the silhouette of several objects in the room. It was obviously very early in the morning.

She swung her legs off the side of the bed and rubbed her eyes. How long had she been out? She didn't feel like she needed to sleep anymore. In fact she felt oddly refreshed, and something else was bugging her. Something was absent, but she couldn't think what.

There was the sound of movement from behind her and Luna turned panicking at what she thought she'd see. There was a figure in the bed sleeping, as it might have seemed. Luna's first reaction was to scream, but she willed herself not to be so stupid. The silhouette was obviously that of the Joker, although he didn't seem to be wearing his usual trademark makeup. If he were, it would have been clearer.

She stared at him for a while contemplating whether or not he was staring back, but his soft breathing reassured her. She stood up and paced the room, careful not to bump into anything or to cause too much noise.

"_Should I escape?"_ she thought. She glanced at the Joker again. _"Now would be the best opportunity." _She shivered and grasped her body tight. She realized she was still in her underwear.

"_You're not going anywhere in your underwear!" _Luna cursed. _That's _why he must have deprived her of her clothes. To ensure she would not try to escape. The Joker was smart, no doubt.

Luna regrettably sat on the edge of the bed again and stared at the door. The concept of escape was far too tempting. Sighing she glanced at the Joker again.

She jumped. The figure was leaning on its elbow and was staring straight at Luna with invisible eyes. There were no words spoken, but this was enough to scare her. She climbed back into bed again keeping her eyes on him the whole time.

He watched her struggle with the bed covers and couldn't help a smirk form on his lips. When she finally had settled, she turned her back on him and moved as close to the edge of the bed as possible. She felt so vulnerable, no way would she sleep close to that monster.

He let her lie there for a while, luring her into a false sense of security. He almost giggled out loud when he heard her breathing soften, as he grasped her waist with both hands and pulled her close to him.

Luna flinched, expecting pain, but soon realized there was none. Her skin wasn't painful to touch anymore. _"That's why I felt weird before," _she thought.

The Joker almost reading her mind murmured, "I had a doctor look at you while you were asleep."

Luna's eyes widened in the dark. She must have been out a long time for her not to realize she was being examined. What else could he have done to her in that time?

She wriggled away from his warmth angrily, but he had a firm hold on her.

"Ah ta ta ta. Relax."

Luna didn't want to relax. She didn't want to be _near_ him never mind touching. She felt revolted about her current predicament and doubted she would be able to sleep even if she wanted to.

Her mind formed all sorts of pictures of what he could have done to her while she was out, that she could have wept with worry. _What a stupid situation to have landed yourself in. _

The Joker frowned at her. He was far too tired to hold her still. Sighing, he let go of her and watched as she scrambled to the edge of the bed again. What an annoying girl. He was going to have to teach her some manners. _"In the morning," _he thought, yawning.

He watched her a little while longer, luring her into false security again. He waited for her to relax and then kicked her out of the bed. He heard a loud thump.

"Ow."

This time, he couldn't conceal his laughter.

*****

Luna didn't sleep. She felt uncomfortable lying on her back for some reason. It made her feel inferior in some way…? Or perhaps it was because lying on your back seems a vulnerable position to be in.

She sat up and stretched her dead left arm. She lay on it all night, terrified to switch to the other and attempting to cling onto the warmth that was the bed. The Joker had forced her to endure uncomfortable and painful situations and she had only been here a week…? Two weeks? God only knows. Oh and the Joker does too of course!

Luna frowned at a pile clothes in front of her. Were they for her? She walked over to the coffee table and picked them up, holding them against her. There was a black pleated skirt (quite short), which came with a belt nearly the same size of the skirt, and a white short-sleeved shirt. "Hmm." She put them down again and looked under the coffee table. There sat a pair of high-heeled boots.

"These aren't my clothes…"

"I know." She jumped. The Joker stood in the doorway of the bathroom. "Your clothes were wet and inappropriate-ah."

Luna pondered for a moment, "Inappropriate…inappropriate? Have you seen the length of this skirt?!" she shrieked. Perhaps she was pushing her luck. He had given her new clothes. Perhaps she ought to comply. Although Luna wasn't one to sit back and do what she's told especially if she had a negative view against it.

"I see nothing wrong with it," the Joker replied calmly.

"And the boots…and… look! Even the shirt looks like it'll be too small on me. I'd look like a slut if I put this outfit on."

The Joker tapped his fingers impatiently, "Well its those or nothing."

Luna blinked, trying to come up with a comeback argument, but she had nothing. "Fine."

"And there is a new set of underwear for you to put on." He pointed at the table. Luna glanced at it, having not seen it before. She was expecting a thong or something, but the set was almost exactly the same as the one she was wearing.

"How did you know my bra size?" she questioned.

"Uh… you were out for four days. I checked."

Four days? Luna was astonished. How could she have slept so long especially when a doctor was 'looking' at her? And she was certain that if anyone put a hand near her bra, she'd be awake within seconds. She wasn't _that _deep a sleeper. The only explanation was…"Did you give me some kind of weird drugs or something?"

The Joker didn't answer, instead he grinned bearing a row of un-brushed yellow teeth. Luna took that as a yes. "Why?"

He laughed at her. "You…you have no idea why?!" he shrieked whilst giggling. "Have you seen yourself? You're one feisty babe. Always answering back, cursing and wriggling." He stopped laughing and suddenly looked serious. Serious, meaning as serious as a man with a permanent smile on his face can look. "You needed to be sedated, otherwise you'd never let me do anything-ah."

Luna was speechless. In a sense, he sedated her for her own protection. He kept her drugged so she would allow a doctor to heal her. This was odd, un-joker-like behaviour.

"Get dressed-ah."

Luna gawped at him for a moment and then regained her senses. "Not with you standing there."

The Joker grinned, "don't worry-ah your little self. I'll be in the bathroom."

"My little self," she muttered. _'What a jerk.' _She watched him disappear into the bathroom and then turned her back on him. He may have said he'd be in the bathroom, but she didn't trust him.

She began stripping down out of her old underwear and put on her new. She never knew that underwear could feel so good. She laughed at her own thoughts, pulling the skirt on. "Now where is that shirt…?" She turned. She could have sworn she lifted it.

"Aha!" it was on the coffee table still.

The Joker laughed rather pointedly and loudly at her. Luna seen him and screamed, covering up her chest with her arms.

"I wouldn't bother, I've seen you in a bra before."

This was true, but Luna felt betrayed in some way. "You said you wouldn't look!" she hissed.

"I don't remember saying _that. _But I do remember saying I'll be in the bathroom-ah. And look…" he pointed at his feet. "I _am _in the bathroom."

Luna quickly grabbed the shirt and turned her back on him again. She pulled it over her head. The Joker was laughing at her. Again. That's all that he seemed to do. Laugh, laugh, laugh. Well she was sick of it.

Once she had the shirt on she turned angrily, "WHAT IS SO FUNNY?"

The Joker stopped laughing. Everything in the room remained silent except for Luna. She was panting from the volume she had decided to shout. The air itself had seemed to stop.

'_Shit…'_

She looked at him. His brown eyes seemed to have flames raging behind them. Luna smiled jokingly, but it was wiped off her face as soon as he began to speak.

"Loooooonah, Looonah, Luna." He took out his blade and twirled it in his fingers. "What is this?"

"Your…your switch blade."

"And…what is the purpose of my switch blade."

She didn't respond. The Joker carried on, "What I mean-ah, is…what makes it so useful for what it is made for. What characteristic would you say it had-ah?"

"Its…sharp?"

The Joker mocked amazement and clapped his hands together. "Oh! Well done! I must say you've achieved so much!" His manic laugh echoed throughout the room. Luna grimaced; it hurt her head.

"Come here Loooonah."

She shook her head. The Jokers eyes grew darker, if that was possible. "Come here," he growled.

Again Luna shook her head, this time taking a step backwards. The Joker sighed, pretending to be sad, then started to advance on her. Luna was afraid now. She kept her eyes on him the whole time, whilst walking backwards.

She eventually ran out of places to walk. Her back hit the wall. The Joker skipped over to her. "I'm amazed…that you haven't discovered your scar yet."

"Sc..scar?"

"Yes," he examined his fingers with fake interest, "When you were getting changed. I would imagine you seen it."

Luna frowned. What was he raving about now? The Joker smiled and pulled the band of her skirt down, to reveal a small horizontal scar across her lower stomach. "That-ah scar."

Luna looked at it and ran her fingers over it. What did he do to her? "What…what is it from?"

"Well it's from me."

"Yes I know that…but…what did you do?"

He smiled. Luna could have thrown up in disgust. "Lets just say…you and Harvey won't be raising a family any time soon. No…at all."

The Joker laughed more insanely than she had ever seen him laughing. Luna just stared at him in shock. Did he mean she couldn't have kids? She looked down again. The scar was over where her womb was, she imagined. She felt tears appear in her eyes. "Why…why would you do this?"

"Because!" he laughed, "Because!" He wiped tears from his eyes, "I don't want you getting knocked up."

"Kn…knocked up?" she looked at him laughing. A thought occurred to her, "your…your… planning on…on ra… raping me?"

"Plan?" he continued laughing, "no no no! I don't plan anything sweetheart. I'm just preparing you in case I feel any need to…to…" He grinned. He didn't need to finish his sentence.

"So that's why I'm here is it? Am I some sort of…of sex toy?!"

He stared at her. She continued, "Am I just…a little play thing? Something to take out your sexual frustrations on?"

"Sexual frustrations…?" he snorted. "What are you rambling about? You're my new hobby. You put up barriers around you, constantly fighting, attempting to show no weakness," he paused for a moment and then continued, "I want to unhinge your mind. Find out what your weakness' are. Find out…what makes you scream-ah!" He giggled, "I want to know what makes you tremble with fear, what makes you happy, sad and…what makes you feel vulnerable. I want to know what makes you…tick."

Luna's eyes widened. She stared at him glassy eyed.

"You are my Labyrinth Loooonah. And I will find a way, to get to your centre. The part of your mind which is vulnerable to anything and everything."

*****

**Okay, was this chapter really long...or was it just me? I wanted it just to be Lunas scenario. In the next chapter i'll explain about Harvey and Bruce and the rest.**

**xo**


	9. Marked for life

Two others joined Gordon and Batman on the top of the MCU that night; Harvey Dent and Rachael Dawes. There was no real need for Rachael to be there, but she protested, _"Gordon this is __**my**__ sister. We still don't have a clue where she is. I want to be there to ensure that Batman is actually trying."_

"Still no word?" Gordon enquired.

Harvey paced the roof and itched with anxiety. He. Was. A. Mess. His tie needed straightened, he had puffy, sleepless eyes and his hair remained un-brushed. He seemed to be affected most by her kidnapping, than anybody else. This was inevitable, he was her fiancé.

"Nothing," the dark husky voice of Batman replied. His face never showed any emotion; even his eyes seemed cold and heartless. This was to be expected of course, to hide his true identity it only makes sense to hide his feelings towards people.

Batman, Gordon and Rachael stood in silence, thinking of ideas. Harvey continued pacing. All was silent.

Rachael broke the silence, "Batman I hear you've got a killer thrust."

Batman looked taken aback. "What?"

She giggled and Gordon elbowed her pointedly. "Sorry."

"What is she talking about?" Bruce was mildly confused, _'A killer thrust? What was __**that**__ supposed to mean?' _

"Never mind. Let's just put a plan together," Gordon coughed, embarrassed.

Rachael was stifling a laugh. She just couldn't help herself could she?

"A plan?" Harvey finally stopped pacing. "Oh, all right Gordon lets hear this plan, if you've even got one."

"Uh…"

"Any of you got a plan eh?"

Silence. Nobody knew what to say.

He continued, "I knew it. Of course none of you have any plans. I mean, the only ideal idea is for Batman to turn himself in!"

"Wait…what?" Rachael shrieked, "Are you insane? Batman's the only one who is a threat to the Joker."

"Exactly Rachael! So if there is no threat, then maybe he won't feel the need to keep her hostage anymore!"

"But…"

"Don't you _want _to see your sister again?"

"I do but…"

"Well!" he clapped his hands together as if this settled the matter.

Batman spoke this time, "I know that seems like the easiest thing to do Harvey, but…the Joker won't release her even if I turn myself in."

"Yes," Gordon continued, "It wasn't Batman's fault that she was taken. If anyone's it was yours."

"_Mine?_ What?"

"I don't mean it in a harsh way Harvey. I simply mean that your Gotham's DA. Of course this was aimed to stress you out. I mean, look at the state of you! The Joker knew that you'd be upset if she was taken."

"Of course I would be upset!"

"Yes I know Harvey. I know."

There was silence again. Harvey felt Gordon was right, but what would he have to do? Hand himself mercilessly over to the Joker? Kill himself?

"What would you have me do?" he asked Batman weakly.

"I want you to reel in anyone who knows Luna's address and question them on the Joker's whereabouts," Batman replied.

"Er…that's a lot of people," Rachael raised her eyebrows, "Friends…family…"

"Right down to the Chinese delivery man."

"Look Batman, I don't think Harvey's up to it…"

"I'll do it." Harvey's face transformed itself into that of determination.

Batman nodded, "Good, and while you're at it, tidy yourself up. You don't want to let the Joker know he's getting to you." With this Batman jumped off the building and flew into the night.

*****

Luna sat on the bed nervously. She knew now that she was here as some sort of sick hobby for the Joker. This wasn't good news. In fact she'd rather he killed her.

"_Lets just say…you and Harvey won't be raising a family any time soon. No…at all!"_

She felt even worse about herself than before. She felt that…in some way, she had let Harvey down. She couldn't have children with him and she assumed that's what he would have wanted, getting married and all. If she managed to escape from the Joker, she could somehow pick up her life again and forget about all her worries, but now… She growled, she couldn't even have a life.

"_I will find a way to get to your centre. The part of your mind which is vulnerable to anything and everything."_

Luna felt sick to the stomach. This scared her, more than anything in the world. The Joker was right about her putting up barriers around her mind. She had to. She trained herself to show little or no emotion, unless it was something positive e.g. loving Harvey, laughing with Rachael. Luna felt exposed to the world if she showed fear or sadness. These were emotions, which could be used against her. Heck, even crying made her feel weak.

She clenched her fists. What was she to do? What _could _she do? Give up? Let him penetrate her mind?

"No." She'd never give him access to these weaknesses. She must remain the strong policewoman she was trained to be.

The Joker stared at her from the other side of the room. What was she thinking? He laughed silently. Her face had a scrunched up expression, like she was having a fight with herself.

"Looooonah!"

She glanced up at him, like a confused puppy; her mind snapping back into reality, "what?"

"I was uh…thinking. I think you should tell me things-ah. Talk to me. Open up your thoughts," he smiled and leant forward slightly, "Think of me being a…uh…psychiatrist."

Luna blinked, then smiled to herself, _'So he wants into my mind already.' _ She grinned. What a feeble attempt this was. He could surely do better than that.

"No," she said simply.

The Joker frowned, "Nothing you want to talk about-ah? Your past? Your feelings?"

"Nope."

He frowned again. Was she so ignorant? Or had she seen through his caring disguise?

He walked over to her slowly, emphasizing each step. He then sat beside her and placed a hand on her thigh, "There has to be something…"

Luna's eyes widened. "Don't touch me."

"Anything-ah."

"Get your hand off my leg."

He tightened his grip and Luna took a sharp intake of air. "Tell me what you're feeling this very second…"

"Get your hand off…my leg!"

He kept squeezing ignoring Luna's protests, "Tell me what emotions are swirling through your mind-ah…"

"Let go!"

"Why won't you tell me?" he growled and leant in towards her face menacingly.

"GET OFF!" she roared and pushed the Jokers shoulders with all her strength. He fell back onto the bed. Luna snatched her leg from his grip and stood up panting and staring at the red nail marks on her left leg. She was not surprised to see blood.

The Joker sat up smacking his lips. "Hmmm…" He twirled his blade in his hand, thinking.

Luna stood staring at him. Awaiting an attack.

"Y'ano Luna…. It's impossible to get anything out of you. Either you're truly ignorant or…" he pondered a moment, "you are afraid-ah that I'll uh…use something against you."

She didn't bother to say anything. She only knew half of what this man was capable of doing.

"I need to teach you _obedience,_" he hissed the last word, whilst standing up and examining his blade as if he was thinking. "I need to teach you to talk, when you're asked questions." He continued, "You need to be reminded of your company. Who uh _owns _you."

The Joker looked into Luna's eyes and growled, "most of all, you need to be taught manners."

Luna stared back into his eyes defiantly. The Joker smacked his lips again.

Luna barely had time to blink, when he threw her by her neck onto the bed. She rubbed her neck and gasped, attempting to sit up.

The Joker pushed her down by her shoulders and held her wrists to the bed with his right hand.

"_This is it," _Luna thought. _"You're first time will be ravaged with a mad man." _

He kneeled on her legs to prevent her squirming. "Oh! Where'd the cuts on your arms disappear-ah to eh?"

Luna was still attempting to lessen his grip, by arching her back.

"Looonah, don't you think that'd it be a good-ah idea if you…uh answered my questions. Bearing in mind the uh…position you are currently in?" He patted her face roughly.

"Can't you get off me? Please…"

The Joker sighed and roughly grabbed one of her breasts and squeezed.

Luna shrieked out of pain. Don't men know how fragile women's breasts are?

"Ow! Okay okay!" she shouted. "My skin heals…quickly…"

"Interesting," he muttered and released his hand from her. He lifted up her skirt and placed his hand on her inner, right thigh.

Luna froze. His touch seemed so icy against her skin. This was so wrong.

"Please don't," she begged.

The Joker looked at her pleading eyes and patted her cheek roughly again, "Ah ta ta ta."

He placed the cold blade against her skin and giggled. He could see Luna's expression. She was freaking out big time.

"Now…I'm uh…going to make a little mark on you…"

Luna gulped.

"To remind you who you belong to…" without a moments hesitation, he dug the blade into her skin and made a deep horizontal line across her inner thigh.

Luna squirmed a little, but mostly because she was uncomfortable with the place he cut her in. She was a bit numb to _this _sort of pain.

He traced the line back until it was in the centre and then sliced down, making a flick at the end.

Luna bit her lip. It _was _hurting her.

He continued to trace the shape until he was satisfied. Then, he stood up and let Luna free of his grasp. He admired his work.

She was terrified to move. Was he finished?

She sat up and touched the stinging place just below her female privates. It looked horrific. There was blood smeared down to half of her leg and it was still oozing out of this new cut. He did it deeper, than she ever did it on her arm.

"Do you like it-ah?" the Joker grinned.

Luna made a little squeak in the back of her throat. This would scar no doubt.

He sat on the bed, beside her and watched her examine the cut he had made. "Now…since you said your skin heals quickly…I'll uh…retrace…that cut everyday, until the point where it will never heal. You ought to be obedient now don't ya think?"

She looked at him, her expression blank.

He raised his finger as if an idea occurred to him, "Oh! And if you aren't, I'll carve little 'J's all over your pretty skin. I'll make you a work of art!" he laughed. And laughed. And laughed. His voice echoed through Luna's brain until she felt dizzy.

"Now, give me a kiss-ah!" he puckered his lips.

Luna stared at him a moment and then pecked him politely. "Aw…" he mocked disappointment.

If it were possible to feel any emotion, she would feel relief, simply because he decided not to rape her. Not yet anyways.

*****


	10. Opening Doors

**Sorry about the length of the chapters. I've been getting blocks… I'll try harder to make them more detailed. Xo**

"Don't'!" Luna screamed! The Joker stood over her, power and dominance thoroughly sickening his already horrific appearance.

"Don't what Darrrrling-ah?" he traced his fingers up her leg, nipping her skin every so often, to emphasize what he intended.

Luna whimpered, feeling her strength drain with every second that passed. She did realize what she had lowered herself to, but she was so scared, she'd do anything to stop him. "I…I…please…!" She tested the bonding on her wrists, helplessly. She whimpered, trying to pull at them, to no avail.

The Joker slapped her. Hard. "Now shush. If you keep wriggling, you won't be able to enjoy the uh…fun." He grinned devilishly, flashing all his yellow teeth.

She tried to sit up, but the bonding limited her movement. She looked at him pathetically, "You're better…than this. Please..."

The Joker suddenly stopped his actions and stood up, licking his lips resting his hand on his chin.

Luna's heart hammered in her chest. Did she stop him?

"Y'know Looonah, you're right." Her heart lifted and her eyes welled with hopefulness. This was short lived however; he took out his trademark switch-blade and grinned again evilly. Luna's heart leapt into her mouth at his words. "Let's make this more interesting…."

The Joker hopped on top of her and kissed her roughly, his tongue invading her mouth.

This lasted for several minutes. She make several warning noises to indicate she couldn't breathe. He pulled away, leaving her coughing and spluttering, attempting to wipe her mouth on her chest. He looked down on her, his eyes could have glowed red, his teeth carved into fangs… and his appearance couldn't possibly get any scarier.

"I am the better class of criminal after all…" the blade glinted dangerously in the dim light.

*****

Luna opened her eyes abruptly. She sighed and wiped her hand on her forehead, to her disgust feeling how sweaty she was. Never in her years as a policewoman, had she been so scared. But it was only a dream…

'_Wow…being a hostage really sucks…' _

She was already starting to be mentally affected even though the Joker had done nothing to her. Well… nothing in the form of rape. He had only knocked her unconscious by crashing into her bus, froze her in a shower, cut her open in her ovary-area and carved a the letter 'J' into her leg.

"Oh you're awake!" the dreaded voice sang to her ears.

She closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she hadn't moved. That she had somehow fooled him into thinking she was still asleep.

"Yeah…" she sat up looking for the source of the sound. He was sitting on the sofa, his legs propped up on the coffee table. He had his back to her therefore; all she could see was his greasy mop of hair.

"Good-ah…you seemed to have had a nightmare."

"What?" she panicked slightly.

He let out a hoarse laugh then grunted, "You were screaming in your sleep."

If Luna were in a comic strip, she would have slapped her face with an emphasis on embarrassment. _'Great.'_

She walked edgily over to him, intrigued that he wasn't poking fun at her or describing the details. He seemed to be preoccupied.

"Hey…I didn't know you read the newspaper…"

"I don't-ah." He giggled making a sniping motion. The Joker suddenly turned, catching Luna off guard and nearly knocking her backwards. He was grinning with the glee of a young schoolboy.

In his hands were newspaper clippings, which looked like they had been drawn over. Faces were slightly visible beneath red and black ink and 'Ha Ha Ha' seemed to be written where he could squeeze it in. Complete rubbish in other words.

"Uh…" she frowned, leaning close to the picture. She vaguely recognized the 'man' in his left hand. "Is that…?"

He giggled again, "You could say I found the news very boring-ah." He turned his back on her again and continued to scribble and snip.

Luna stood still, the image of the mayor in her mind. How weird it was to see him with black-rimmed eyes and a huge, red grin. She shuttered. What would the world be like with two Jokers?

She was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of a dim-witted thug in the doorway. "Hey uh Boss…?"

"Yes?" the Joker sang. Wow, was he in a happy mood. It could possibly be because he had just marked Luna. Who knows?

"You might find the news interesting." He walked away, leaving the Joker frowning.

He stood up and clapped his hands together, "Well…uh…only one way to find out what he meant."

He grabbed Luna by her wrist roughly and yanked her towards the stairs.

*****

"Now…" he sat on the sofa in front on the television.

Luna looked around; he'd never let her down here before. The room was pretty big; decent sized. It was a lot messier than the room upstairs; the large table in what looked like a dining area was turned upside down, one of the windows at the back were smashed, there were beer bottles lying empty absolutely everywhere, crisp packets were covering every inch of the floor and under them Luna could vaguely make out the 'Zoo' and 'Nuts' magazine; A cheap way of gawping at a woman's body.

Luna took a step backwards with disgust. This room said 'MAN' all over it and she wasn't being sexiest. Most men in Gotham had turned to the thug life bar the few decent ones, e.g. Harvey, Gordon, Bruce, the doctors at Arkham, the Mayor…etc. The rest were in mobs (more than likely). Luna assumed they actually used their money to their advantage.

'_Why the Joker? Out of everyone in Gotham, why the Joker?' _she thought bitterly.

Luna felt arms snake around her waist and she was tugged onto the Joker's knee. She struggled angrily, more so because she had been taken off guard.

"Hey hey! Sit with me." He gripped tighter.

"I'm not sitting with you. I'm sitting on you," she hissed.

He laughed, "Aren't my knees comfortable-ah?"

"No."

"Ah well," he gripped tighter still and shushed her, "Watch."

She stopped struggling and gazed at the man talking into the microphone. Harvey Dent.

Her throat closed up. The Joker laughed at her, "Look-ah! There's your uh…man."

She wanted to retaliate, but was too interested on what he was saying.

"_Batman's offered to turn himself in, but lets consider this for a moment. We've been happy for him to clean up our streets until now."_

"_**THINGS ARE WORSE THAN EVER!"**_

"_**You'd rather protect an outlaw vigilante than the lives of citizens?"**_

"_Batman is an outlaw, but that's not why we demand him to turn himself in. It's because were scared. One day he'll have to pay for what he's done, but to us. Not to this madman."_

Luna swallowed. She prayed this didn't mean what she thought.

"_**No more dead cops!" -Cheers.**_

"_**He should turn himself in." -Applauses.**_

"_Fine take the Batman into custody." _

The people in the audience were confused, as was Luna.

"_I am the Batman."_

"HAHAHA!" the Joker pushed Luna off him and she landed on the floor with a loud thump.

The Joker was in hysterics. He couldn't believe what had just happened. "FINALLY!"

He stood up and pointed at Luna enthusiastically, "You! I knew it was him! I KNEW IT! After he threw himself after you…HAHA!"

Luna sat and stared at him in complete horror. What had Harvey done?

"Oh! This has made my day-ah!" he smacked his lips together.

He crouched down beside her and grasped her face tightly in his gloved hand, "What's the matter doll face? I thought you uh…knew…HAHA!" He stood up and grinned, "I guess-ah you figured he couldn't be so stupid."

The Joker practically skipped across the room and to the door.

"NO! Wait!" Luna scrambled to her feet and ran after him, tripping over herself in her boots.

She reached him and grabbed his legs tightly, "Please no! Not Harvey!"

He shook her off and continued to skip, his mood unaffected.

She stumbled after him again and pulled his arm, forcing him to come to a halt. He turned and looked at her.

"Not Harvey. Please! I'll do anything!"

He grunted and walked away.

"NO!" she screamed, flying at him again, "Don't touch him! Don't you _dare _hurt him!"

The Joker turned ever so seriously to look her straight in the eyes, "Get up to my room," he growled. "And stay there." With this he walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him, causing Luna to jump amidst her mumbling pleas.

*****

Luna did as she was told. She went upstairs trembling. Worrying. Images of Harvey's gruesome death possibilites forming in her mind. Would he leave his trade mark on him? The carved smile? The charcoal eyes? She just couldn't stand it. The very thought chilled her to the bone and she knew she wouldn't be able to cope with it.

Luna clenched her fists. "Let him try. Let him fucking try." Anger took over her worry. She began to bash her fists off the wall, screaming, but weeping. Every pound getting fiercer and harder. "Touch him and DIE!!" She told herself she would kill the Joker somehow, if he was to harm Harvey. If she could. Would it be possible?

She didn't know. She could beat criminals to a pulp without a backward glance. She could lock men behind bars regardless if they have families and children, but she was no monster. She doubted that she could kill.

She stopped beating the wall with her fists and leant against it, tears of frustration causing her chest to heave with sobs. She covered her mouth with her hands and breathed heavily. _'calm Luna...calm...'_

She blinked. How long had she been here for now anyways? Two weeks? Seemed like longer.

The room was quiet. Luna felt a buzzing sensation in her brain. She slapped her head with her hand, "Stop that."

Great...now she was talking to herself. She may as well be crazy. Like him. Luna glanced around nervously. Where was _he_? Out doing...the buisness?

She felt a bubble of panic rise in her chest again. Right now, something was happening. Possibly involving her beloved. She took a deep breath, "Don't start again. You aren't weak. Crying is for the weak."

_'If you aren't weak why are you sitting in his room? Why did you comply? Why didn't you seize the chance to escape?' _

"Yeah..." Why did she comply? Why did she obey like an obediant puppy? Like his well trained play thing? She clenched her fists again. "I...Am...Not...His...Plaything."

_'Then run.'_

She contemplated it. The escape. The fresh air. The feeling of achievement as the air hit her face.

Luna grinned sheepishly. She needn't be told twice. She ran to the door and down the stairs. Freedom....she could almost taste it. As she slipped past a few men drinking beer, as she fiddled with the lock on the front door, as she opened the door and didn't bother closing it. She ran and jumped over a broken brick wall. She ran, realizing suddenly, she hadn't a clue where to go.

**I hope this chapter was okay. I needed to make a link to TDK somehow. I was listening to 'Blood on my Hands' at that second last part. It clicked something in my mind, I figure. Sorry I really **_**was **_**going to make this longer, but my dinners ready! Anyways, please review. Xo**


	11. The Old Woman and one odd Nurse

Luna ran for an hour, before she had a killer stitch and had to slow down to a walking pace. Her inner voice urged her to keep running, _'You're not free yet!' _She felt it however. She breathed in the fresh air and pride swelled up in her chest. She wasn't out of the Joker's grasp just yet, but she knew she wasn't being followed. She knew she was safe to slow down.

She looked around. Nothing was recognizable to her. She never really realized how big Gotham was; now she does.

She walked past several alleyways; they were cluttered with bottles of beer. Luna immediately froze thinking of the men in the Joker's living room. An uneasy feeling rose in her chest. She shook herself off. "Wise up Luna…" she muttered.

She saw a few houses and rushed to them eagerly. She walked to the door of the house, which looked most welcoming. This was hard to find; most of them looked scary, superior and towering, especially in the dark. Eventually she saw this one. It looked fairly normal, especially in comparison.

Luna rapped the door nervously. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Wait; of course it was a good idea. What else could she possibly do?

30 seconds passed and there was no sign of movement from inside the house. 50 seconds. A minute. Two minutes. She tutted, she wasn't one to be patient. Just as she was about to leave the door opened, revealing a small old woman. Luna's heart warmed. She liked old people.

"I'm sorry dear…do I know you?" her voice was small and squeaky to match her appearance. She spoke like the typical old granny. _'God love her,'_ Luna thought. She must have looked awful; blood in her hair and down her leg and her outfit… She grinned at the thought. Yep, no wonder the woman was frowning.

"Well you don't know me but…"

"JASON TURN OFF THAT DAMNED TV I CAN'T HEAR A THING!" she screeched causing Luna to jump backwards and nearly falling on her ass. "I'm sorry what were you saying?"

Luna stared completely at awe. How could something so loud have come out of this timid little woman? She coughed awkwardly and continued, "Er…my name is Luna Dawes. I'm a police officer. I work for Gordon, perhaps you've heard of him? I was just wondering if I could come in?"

The woman's eyes widened and she closed the door so only her face was visible, "I didn't do anything," she squeaked, "Leave me alone, you have no business here." Her reaction caught Luna off guard. What? Was this woman some sort of criminal?

Luna shook her head in disbelief. Curious. Very curious, although this wasn't the time to be investigating. Her life could still be at risk.

"No! I'm not investigating you. In fact I've took a short break from work and I've gotten lost. Ya'see I was just driving and…uh…I got lost," she smiled at the woman warmly to show she was genuine.

The woman scratched her brown haired head, and then frowned. "I wouldn't think you'd come out here m'dear. Nothing to see. Nowhere interesting to go."

"Uh…yeah. Well I was just driving around."

"Bit foolish, if you ask me," she smiled, two of her teeth popping out. "Oh sugar!" She retrieved them from the floor and popped them straight back in again.

Luna grinned through gritted teeth, perhaps this wasn't a good idea. "Yeah it was foolish. Well, I'm sorry for bothering you…" she went to walk away, but the old woman grabbed her arm desperately.

"I'm sorry. Please come in. Have a cup of tea. Use the phone. Anything you want…"

Luna sighed, wavering on whether to leave or not. She couldn't. The old woman looked too sweet and desperate. She smiled noticing Luna's pondering face. She gave her a tug on the arm, "Come on…"

Luna followed her inside. _'Why not?' _

"Sit…sit!" she gave her a slight push to encourage her to plant her ass on the sofa.

She disappeared into the kitchen. Luna held her hands together nervously. Would the Joker find her here? She's endangering the life of this woman if he finds her.

She returned with a cup of tea. "I hope you don't mind it black. We've no milk." Luna frowned, what kind of house has no milk?

"Sure…uh thanks." The woman sat opposite her and stared. Luna swallowed a lump in her throat. Staring problem? She shakily sipped at the tea.

"Look I don't want to stay long," she began, "I just want to use the phone and…"

"Your Luna," the old woman interrupted her.

She blinked, "Yeah."

"Luna Dawes."

Luna gulped. How did she know her second name? "Yeah…"

"Oh dear…oh dear…" she stood up and fumbled with her fingers a second, not sure what to do.

She walked away, leaving Luna bewildered and confused. She heard crashing noises and a few mutters and then the old woman came back in with a phone in her hand. She waved it about frantically, "Make a phone call, then leave. If you please."

Luna frowned, "Okay…" she took the phone and dialed Gordon's number. She explained to Gordon about her current situation, her location, how she escaped and asked him to pick her up.

"Of course! I'm just so glad you're safe. I need to tell you something concerning…wait…no. I don't want you panicking. I'll tell you when I get there. Bye."

Luna stared blankly at the old woman. Feeling panic. Was it something to do with Harvey? She was interrupted by her thoughts when the woman snatched the phone off her, "Now please get out of my house."

"I'm sorry, couldn't I stay here just until…"

"GET OUT!" she roared.

Luna jumped and ran for the door to get away from her. The door slammed and she kept running terrified that she was chasing after her with a broom or something.

She had to stick close by to enable Gordon to find her, but she could feel the eyes of the old woman on the back of her neck. She must have been looking out the window, daring her maybe, to take one little step closer to her house. What the hell was wrong with her? She sighed, "I'll look into that later…"

He wasn't long. It took about five minutes, which was surprising bearing in mind how far away she must have been from the centre of Gotham. He must have sped.

"Thank God!" she ran to the car and pulled him into a crushing hug. She couldn't help, but feel overwhelmed by this amazing man. She cried into his shoulder whilst he patted her back lovingly. She was safe. At last.

*****

The Joker sat in the cell irritated and bored. Yes, you did read that correctly. He was in a cell; in the MCU, in Gordon's unit. He looked at the men shouting inside and out of the bars with partial distaste and partial amusement.

He was so close to finding out who Batman was. _So _close, but then…Gordon got him. How had Gordon got him? He shot him did he not? Never mind. It's not important. Not right now.

He clicked his tongue off the top of his mouth. Waiting. Waiting for the moment when Gordon would burst in with Luna. Seeing the freedom etched all over her face. Seeing the shock, but relief when she seen him behind bars.

'_But you are not safe yet sweetheart…' _he laughed out loud, scaring off a couple of anxious thugs he was sharing the cell with.

"Back off all of you!" Gordon shouted. The Joker grinned. Right on time. Or well…so he imagined. He had no way of telling the time. How annoying.

"Get him in there," Gordon told Wuertz.

The Joker was walked into the questioning room by five men; one holding the back of his neck. He didn't mind really. He knew he'd get his revenge. _'Let them enjoy it while they can.' _

Luna entered the room nervously, not expecting so many to be present. "Aw guys…you didn't all need to be here…"

Ramirez patted her back comfortingly, but then somebody had to break it to her sooner or later. "Luna…"

She looked at Ramirez, her face etched with worry and. …fear? "Oh God. What's wrong?"

"It's Harvey…"

Luna moaned, expecting this, "Please don't tell me he's dead. Please he can't be…"

Several police officers crowded around her. Ramirez continued, "No…he's not dead, but…he's missing."

Luna froze. "Wait…what do you mean missing?"

"Well… we don't know how. Gordon thinks it was the Joker, but that's impossible. We caught him before Dent got into the car…"

"What?! You caught the Joker? Is he here?"

"Yes he's here, but…"

Luna had already stormed off, Gordon ran after her, "Luna don't…"

She turned and hissed at him, "Don't! Haha! I'm not one of your police anymore. Don't _you_ tell me what to do. Stay out of my way." She elbowed Gordon's shoulder purposefully when she stormed past. He let her go. What else could he do?

She buzzed open the door. "Joker!" She stomped to the table where he was sitting and smashed her fists onto it.

"Why hello beautiful! I never expected thi…"

"Shut it!" she growled, "What the fuck have you done with Harvey?"

He smacked his lips together. His face seemed eerie in the lamplight, "Me?"

"Yes…you."

"Well…I've been right here," he showed his handcuffs pointedly.

Luna dragged out the chair and say opposite him. She tapped her fingers on the table impatiently, "Who have you left him with?"

He didn't answer, instead he pointed out something completely irrelevant, "Oh I see you're still wearing the clothes I gave you. Wonderful! You must uh… like dressing like a slut after all."

Luna grunted, ignoring the comment, "I'll ask you again. Where is Harvey?"

He frowned and scratched his chin, "Why don't you question Gordon's men?"

She smashed her hands on the table again, "Shut up! What the fuck did you do with my fiancé you freak!"

The Joker sucked his lips in, holding back rage. "Y'know Looooonah. You haven't been treating me very nicely. Don't you remember who owns you?"

"You're not in the position to make any threats."

"Ah! Perhaps not, but what happens if I somehow get out of here?"

"You won't."

"But! What if I uh…did? You think you're safe, but let me be honest with you. You are not." His eyes seemed to glow with danger, "I haven't done anything to really make you tremble, just yet. For your sake, I hope the police do manage to keep me here."

She had nothing more to say to this man. She'll allow Gordon to deal with him. Her frustration was causing her extreme discomfort. "Goodbye Joker…" She stood up to leave, but the Joker started talking.

"Something you should know-ah."

"Yes?" she looked at him.

"You can uh…only save one."

"Save one?" Luna blinked. Realization hitting her. "Who else have you got?"

"A certain Miss Dawes."

Luna laughed coldly, "I'm here Joker. Where you can't get me. If you think that…"

"No," he smiled, "another Miss Dawes."

Luna gasped, much to the amusement of the Joker who was killing himself laughing now. She cupped her mouth with her hands. "Oh…my…God."

He continued to laugh. "Why…?" she managed to choke out. "WHY?!" She was shouting now.

He wouldn't stop laughing, but Luna had her mind on something else. "Why my family…?" she felt tears choke her. Her eyesight became fuzzy.

"Awh don' cry-ah. My sweet lil Loooonah," he mocked.

Gordon rushed in pulling a tearful, paralyzed Luna out of the room. "Luna we will find them. Somehow."

"Gordon…" she managed to whisper.

"Luna we will find Harvey…and Rachael. We'll find them."

"Gordon…he said you can only save one." She collapsed on the floor at his feet. Her life breaking up slowly in front of her eyes, she couldn't take it.

*****

She woke in hospital. She was still wearing the same clothes, but she had been cleaned up. There was no caked blood on her leg and in her hair.

The previous day's events came back to her slowly; each scrap of memory leaving her feeling even more useless and fearful. _"A certain Miss Dawes." _She sobbed, covering her mouth again. Not Rachael. Not Rachael. "Oh God!"

She sat up, but the blood rushed to her head forcing her down again. _'You can't just sit here.' _She had no choice. What could _she _do?

She checked the cut on her leg. It was stitched up, but this made it even more grotesque. It looked too much like the scars on the Joker's face. Is this what he intended?

She noticed the buzz of the TV. She concentrated on it, hoping to find some scrap of news. Had Gordon rescued them both? Had Batman helped? Was Rachael safe? Was Harvey safe? Were they here, in the hospital?

"Gotham residents. We have a special guest in the studio today. He says he knows the identity of the Batman and is willing to turn his name over. He says he's waited for Batman to do the right thing. Well… aren't we all? I mean…Harvey Dent is ill in hospital now, because of an explosion. Was this Batman's fault? After all, he allowed Dent to pretend to be him, risking the life of our White Knight…"

'_Ill?' _Luna pondered. What happened to him? Explosion? Her stomach turned.

Her face suddenly lit up. He was here. In the hospital! She tried to sit up again, but noticed her right leg was numb. "Damn it!" The doctor must have given her some sort of drug to numb the pain. Although, it was a waste of time. She'd rather have a sore leg than a numb one.

She noticed a pain in her stomach and she looked down. More stitches. "Couldn't have given me pain killers for _that!_" She tutted angrily. Stomach pains were the worst in the world. Or so Luna thought. How stupid doctors could be.

"Welcome back. Now, the lines are open to your calls. Yes line 2 hello…"

Luna's mind blocked out the sound of the TV. She felt empty. Alone. Vulnerable. She had no idea why she felt so exposed. The Joker had been captured; surely by now he'd be in Arkham.

Well… her fiancé was a part in some kind of explosion and was now in hospital. Batman, (Bruce) was about to be unmasked on public television. Her sister…?

Well what of her sister? She hadn't heard a word about her. She wanted to assume the best, but of course naturally she assumed the worst. 'What ifs?' swirled in her mind liked maggots eating at her brain.

"I had a vision of a world without Batman…"

Luna froze. She knew that voice. She knew it so well. That odd, eerie, mildly triggering voice. But he was locked away…?

"_It was so boring…I've had a change of heart. If Coleman __**Reece **__isn't dead in 60 minutes, then I blow up a hospital." _

Panic. She heard screams. Coming from her own mouth, and from the rooms around her.

"_I blow up a hospital…" _Luna fell off her bed and stood up. Not realizing the pure terror that enforced her. She was just concentrating on one prospect. Harvey.

A nurse ran into her room, "Please get back into bed. Buses are on their way…"

"Excuse me. I'm going to check on my fiancé," Luna winced as her stomach gave her a sharp jab of pain.

"No please! He's our first priority don't you worry. Please! Go back to bed…"

Luna would really have loved to stamp her foot, but her right leg wouldn't work and her left was supporting her. She pointed at her, like she was going to shout, but she held her tongue. She walked back to bed and smiled at the nurse.

"Okay…okay!" the nurse breathed and ran out of the room. If Luna weren't so worked up in her own problems, she would feel sorry for the staff.

*****

Ten minutes had passed and the buses had arrived. Nurses and policemen ran into the rooms and pulled people out in their beds and onto the buses. The trauma was causing people to have seizures. So as you can imagine, there was a lot more people to carry out in beds, than necessary.

Luna waited patiently until the corridor had fewer patients and then walked out. She checked every room she limped past. It was unlikely that Harvey was still here, but she had to be sure. She had to see him.

She paused when she saw a policeman lying on the ground at the end of the corridor. She glanced around worriedly. She figured he must have fainted or something, but that was a tad unprofessional. Especially for a policeman.

She snorted and made her way slowly to investigate. She held onto the wall and kicked the man with her good leg. No movement. She kneeled down and rolled him over. A shot wound in the chest. "Shot through the heart," she tutted.

This wasn't Coleman though. She knew what he looked like, from having seen him on TV. She gulped. Whoever was in the room…?

She opened the door slowly and the scene she'd never thought she'd see was laid before her eyes; Harvey, perfectly unharmed, was holding a gun to the Joker's head. The Joker was wearing…a nurse's outfit?

Both men turned to stare at the intruder. The Joker couldn't help but smile at the confused look on her delicate face.

Luna looked from the Joker and his absurd appearance to Harvey. She gasped. What the hell was wrong with his face?

****

**Okay…a lot just happened. I'm really hating this. It must be really confusing to read. Sorry. Review? Xo**


	12. So it unravels

"Uh…Harvey?"

"Luna?" Harvey took the gun away from the Joker's head and shook his head in disbelief.

"Harvey!" she couldn't help a few tears form in her eyes. She ran to his side.

"Awh! How sweet-ah," the Joker mimed vomiting.

Luna placed a hand on Harvey's good side. "Harvey… what happened to your face? What happened to your beautiful face?"

He swallowed back his own tears, "I…" He couldn't finish.

Luna wanted to hug him so bad, but the way he was strapped would make it awkward. His handsome face. It was half burned. He… half his face was gone! He had no hair on the left side and his scalp was a raw purple, his eye bulged out of his socket and when he looked at her, she could see the nerves twitching. His lips on that side were also gone, making him look like he had a side smile. All his teeth were visible and his gums. His skin was a pink/purple, but it had black charred spots.

She cried out. She couldn't help it. This wasn't Harvey. This wasn't her fiancé.

"Luna," he choked out noticing her backing away, "Luna….it's still me."

She shook her head defiantly.

The Joker laughed and chipped in, "He's uh…refused any surgery."

Harvey glared at him, immediately regretting his faith in leaving his life to chance. Luna shook her head, "Why? Why would you want to look like… that?"

"I don't! It's just… in the explosion…"

"In the explosion?!" Luna squeaked.

"Yes…half of me was burned. Half of my personality burned, not just my face. I feel like a half of me is missing. Half of me burned away. Why should I hide…who I am?"

Luna was speechless. She stood, an expression of both awe and disgust. Who was this man? She couldn't talk to him, but she did need to talk to someone. Rachael. Yes she needed to talk to Rachael. "Where's my sister? Where's Rachael?"

The Joker exchanged a knowing glance with Harvey and grinned maliciously. Luna hated this. There was something they weren't telling her and the Joker seemed to be in on it. "WHERE IS RACHAEL?" she shouted.

"Don't shout Luna! Please!" Harvey tried to plead with her, but Luna didn't listen. She kept shouting; each shout getting higher pitched with desperation.

The Joker covered his ears and frowned. Harvey winced, "Alright….alright!"

"WHERE IS SHE? I WANT TO TALK TO MY SISTER!"

"Okay Luna…"

"WHERE IS RACHAEL?!"

"If you'd just stop shouting…"

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

"SHE'S DEAD!" Harvey shouted. A silence followed. Luna had stopped shouting, her chest heaving. The Joker sucked his lips in, to compress a laugh.

Luna blinked pointedly and smiled unbelievingly, "Wha…what?"

"She's dead," this time Harvey couldn't help, but allow a few tears to stream down his face. Tears of guilt.

Luna just stared at him. This was what made it even more horrific to him. She was in shock.

"They…they saved me. Batman saved me…I'm sorry."

"Ba…Batman? Saved…you?"

"Yes."

"And what of Gordon?" she choked, "DIDN'T HE WANT TO SAVE MY SISTER?"

"He…he didn't get there on time."

Luna turned to the Joker, "Y…you!" She pointed angrily. "You…b…bastard! You couldn't leave…my family alone?"

The Joker mocked shock, "Me? Looonah. Deja vu! Wait… no…we have had this uh…conversation before!"

"You planned this."

"Harvey said the same doll, but seriously. Why are you all under the illusion-ah, that I make plans?" he laughed.

Luna's mouth was agape. Harvey sighed, "Luna…don't look for someone to blame. He's just a mad dog. You have a perfectly good reason to be upset, but…"

"HA!" she shouted, but nothing was funny. "Perfectly good reason to be upset!? Don't start trying to be the know-it-all. You don't know. Okay? Was it _your _sister that was blown up? NO! Was it you who had to endure this fucking Loony…"

"Hey…" the Joker growled.

"Shut up!" she snapped. "Harvey. Tell me this. Was it you who was stuck with him for weeks, having to endure whatever he decided to do to me? NO! You were sitting safely in your office. Doing what? Doing nothing! NOTHING!"

"That's not true I…"

"Was it you, who had to cope with being kidnapped…? Was it you who was living in your_ own house_ in fear because this…clown…knew where you lived? No."

The Joker smiled. He had to contribute somehow, "About that Looonah. Do you know how I found you?"

"It's not important now…"

"Uh…yes. Yes it is." He licked his lips. "Harvey had you followed-ah."

"Harvey?"

"Oh yes!" he laughed again, "He thought….he thought…" he clutched his side in his laughter, "He thought…that…that…it was _his _man. He told him to follow you to your house to keep an eye on you! How ironic!" He stopped talking and was free to laugh.

Luna looked at Harvey for an explanation. He sighed with grief. This was news to him too. Batman told him to investigate everyone who knew Luna's location, but he never thought to investigate the man who was ordered to follow her.

"I…I just wanted to protect you," Harvey whispered. He started to undo his straps. He wanted to be beside her when having such an emotional conversation. Not in this damned hospital bed.

Luna pointed at him, her arm shaking, "You…stay away from me."

"I'm sorry…truly…I…didn't know…"

"Really?" she said sarcastically. "Well fuck. You sure did a good job protecting me."

"I was in a state with worry…"

"Ha! You were…were you? You looked fine on the television to me."

Harvey cursed under his breath. Luna continued, "I told you. I told you I could protect myself."

"She did? Well Harvey what were you thinking?" the Joker tutted.

Harvey opened his mouth to speak, but Luna was still talking, "I told you to leave me be! I didn't want a fucking body guard!"

She turned to leave.

"Where…where are you going?" Harvey choked.

Luna glared at him, "In case you haven't noticed," she pointed at the Joker, "This place is about to get blown up. I'm leaving." Her coldness shocked Harvey. He wanted to explain himself more, but she had already left.

"Well…Harvey…" the Joker started, "Mmmm…it's been a truly interesting uh…conversation, but I've got things to do. People to catch if y'know what I mean-ah." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and then walked out the door after her.

*****

Luna limped down the corridor as fast as she could. She needed to get out; not because she was afraid of being blown up, but because she wanted to be as far away from everyone as possible. She wanted to be alone.

"Hey toots! Where you going-ah?" the Joker caught up with her.

"Go away," she hissed.

"Awh…that makes me really sad y'know." He stood in front of her, "Fancy telling me how you're uh…feeling now-ah?"

She edged around him and limped onwards, "Upset, disappointed, frustrated, shocked…" They turned the corner. The door was in view. "Furious…"

The Joker let her get a have a head start to the door. He turned, smiled and took the detonator out of his pocket, "Kaboom!" He pushed the button causing wood and glass to fly everywhere, and fire to erupt along the corridor.

He rushed out of the door and skipped after the limping blonde in front of him. She turned when she heard the explosion. She felt nothing. The fire was literally blazing in her eyes now. Her anger always got the better of her and now she didn't even think about what might happen to her two-faced fiancé.

She struggled to jump onto the back of one of the buses before it drove away on her. "Argh!"

The Joker lifted her up and pushed her in. He then jumped in after her, and closed the door, not once looking at the explosion happening in front of him. Not bothering to look at his work.

*****

"Sir, a whole bus is missing."

Gordon received this news with great difficulty. "Yeah? And what is your guess where Harvey and Luna are? Tell them nothing if they ask. Tell them we got both of them out."

He turned to Ramirez, "Get the mayor on the phone."

*****

"Coleman Reece managed to survive therefore Gotham General was blown up. The Joker kept his promise. School buses were rushed straight down before the explosion to escort the staff and patients to other hospitals. One bus is missing however. Our very own Mike Engel is missing. More information has not yet been received…"

"Haha!" the Joker switched the T.V off. "What do you think-ah?"

Luna simply glared at him. She was captured again; along with a bus full of people. The Joker kept these people some place else. He said they could come in useful. They were in a house this time, not an apartment. The Joker was playing it safe, no doubt. Luna would have told the police about his location.

"Not going to tell me?" he knelt beside her and pushed his face into hers, "You had uh…plenty to say earlier."

He licked his scars, "How could you possibly believe-ah…that you were safe? Hmm? I told you." He grasped her face tightly, squeezing it so her lips were puckered like a fish, "I gave you a sh-weet little warning-ah. But did you listen?" He pushed her so she fell on her back. "No…"

She lay there. What was the point in life anymore? 'Just let him kill me.'

"I've been thinking…my pet. My little toy," he said these deliberately so get Luna fired up and he wasn't disappointed. She sat up and looked at him. A little kindle in her eyes. "I've discovered three new things about you." He held up three fingers, "One…losing a loved one makes you upset-ah, two…" He smiled slightly, "You're easily infuriated by man's pride. And three… you aren't the uh… touchy-type." He traced his fingers along her leg to demonstrate. She snatched her leg away angrily.

"See!" he giggled.

She rolled her eyes. She should have controlled herself better. What he said was true and what he would do now that he knew these things, she didn't know. Nothing good, obviously.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked weakly.

He sniffed her hair causing her a lot of discomfort. He clicked his fingers, "How about a shower?"

*****


	13. These Games

Luna refused many times. She was not jumping into his shower again, even if it meant stinking like a pig on its time of the month. This man had scarred her. Could she ever get a shower again?

Of course she gave up eventually. The Joker pulled the "Do _I_ have to clean _you_?" card and regretfully for Luna it worked. All she had to do was pray that he wouldn't try to freeze her again. Or scald her for that matter.

She padded into the bathroom nervously, double-checking that he really had gone to check on the other hostages and wasn't saying that to get a perverted peek at Luna's nakedness. She stripped down and jumped into the shower quickly, not waiting for the breeze to chill her skin.

She observed the controls inside the shower. "Thank fuck." At least she had control of the temperature this time. She would appreciate this…a lot.

Luna turned the shower on to the 2nd highest temperature and sighed. It was so good. People really take advantage of showers and this girl had never appreciated it so much in her life. The water going down the drain was a slight pinkish colour. The nurses had washed her, but obviously appreciated her privacy. They didn't get _all _of the blood.

She wished she had music to listen to. It was almost a tradition to her, listening to music whilst in the shower. Not only does it help set the relaxing mood, but it also helps her keep track of how long she had been in it for.

Well she _didn't _have the music to help her keep track of time. So she got out quicker than even she herself anticipated. The longer she stayed in, the more she questioned the Joker's suggestion. She didn't have any shampoo or shower gel; she had to make do with a mouldy bar of soap in the corner.

When she had regretfully jumped out and changed, she checked her reflection in the steamy mirror. She hadn't a clue why, but she wanted to look decent. After much hair pulling and skin rubbing she entered the living area, surprised to spot the Joker waiting for her.

"Is my pet all squidgy and clean?" he cowed.

"_I'm_ clean yes." She just stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do.

He beckoned her to him and out of his disbelief she obeyed, "Looonah, I'm impressed." The Joker pulled her closer to him and he raked on of his hands through her hair, the other remained around her waist. "Hmmm…" he twirled it absent-mindedly.

Luna awkwardly stood still, allowing him to play with her hair. He seemed to have zoned out. "Uh…you!"

She received no response. She squirmed a little, but he had a tight grip on her. "Yo! Joker!" she felt like an idiot shouting his name.

He snapped back into reality and smiled. "Sorry toots, got lost there did I? Yeah…" He pushed her away and walked to the opposite end of the room and started pacing. Pacing was never a good sign. It suggested, deep thought, anxiety, worry or anger.

"I was just thinking…" he pointed at her with his blade and smacked his lips, "Of ways to torture you."

Luna's eyes widened. What a ridiculously blunt thing to say. She didn't even know if she believed him; his voice and expression was so cheery. She played with her fingers, unsure if he wanted a response.

"You weren't very nice to me earlier y'know," he glared at her, his next sentence coming out as a growl, "You shouldn't think you'll get away with it."

"Now you know that…" he opened his arms widely and rather comic, "Give me a hug!"

Luna simply stared at him. After telling her that he was putting a considerable amount of thought into her torture, he expected her to hug him…? She wasn't stupid. Even if her life wasn't in danger, she wasn't one to give hugs.

"Yeah I knew you wouldn't." He flew at her, not giving her the chance to run. He grasped her hair and smashed her head off the wall. The sound was satisfying. He stood over her groaning form and sighed, "Hmmm good, but not good enough…" He grasped her right ankle and pulled her across the floor so she was under his legs. "I nearly forgot about my promise." He leered and walked to the bed, pulling her across the room with him and not caring about the screams that escaped her mouth. The Joker hoisted her left leg up so it was wrapped around his waist, but the rest of her body was still slumped on the floor.

He giggled maliciously and flicked his switchblade. He pulled her skirt straight off this time to reveal the black underwear he had supplied her with before and a stitched up 'J' on her inner thigh. "Awh stitches are no fun." He dug his blade into her soft flesh.

Luna screamed with agony. It wasn't really sore the first time. She could handle it, but her skin was beginning to heal. It wasn't ready to be torn open like that.

He sawed through her skin like it was a loaf of bread. She felt each stitch snap one at a time and the wound open again. If it weren't for the pounding in her ears, she would certainly be hearing a ripping sound. The sound when paper rips. When the air made contact with it, it stung like hell. "Get off!" she screeched. The blood poured up her leg instead of down it, due to the position he held her in. It trickled past her underwear and onto her belly, making its way slowly to her bra. Luna retched a few times. She felt disgusting.

She twisted her hips to try to pry her leg out of his grasp, but he dug his blade slowly deeper causing her to cry out in pain. He wanted to see her writhe in agony, before he stopped. Sick fuck.

"Stop! Stop!" she screamed, "It isn't fun. This isn't fucking fun!"

"Oh! But it is Looonah!" he flashed her a sick grin, "It's very fun-ah!" He laughed, louder and more genuine than she had ever heard him laugh.

"You bastard!" she hissed through gritted teeth, a few escaped tears going into her hair.

"Well now…I uh…don't really know," he was still half laughing. He gave her leg a last flick with the blade and he let her leg go when she let out a whimper.

She scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could and tried to run to the opposite end of the room, but he had anticipated it and without taking his ass off the bed, he grasped her hair and pulled her back. "Who said I was uh…finished-ah?"

He stood up and grabbed her neck with his hands, lifting her off her feet. She gasped and writhed and squirmed, while he pondered, "What shall I do next eh?" He licked the tears off her face and sucked her forehead, covering it with pleasant Joker saliva. Luna could only wheeze with complaint. He stared into her eyes looking for the scraps of emotion she had been such a master at hiding. He needn't have looked hard; fear, anger and disgust was radiating off her very skin.

The Joker threw her roughly onto the bed. Luna gasped and rubbed her neck with her hands, unprepared for the Joker's next action. He sat on her stomach, causing her even more breathing problems. "Wanna know how I got these scars?"

She wheezed, "I can't breathe…"

He held his blade up to her mouth and leaned into her face. "When I was a boy…I had this little crush-ah. Her name was Natalie. Absolutely gorgeous. Killer body, bombshell blonde hair…amazing tits…" he sniggered, "Anyways…you know the drift with these girls. All the boys wanted her, but only one had access to her body." He pondered a moment, "Rob…yeah that was his name. So Rob was what you would call an uh… asshole. Weight lifter, handsome face, horrific personality; cocky, powerful and uh…tall…did I mention tall? Well he was huge. Nobody would dare cross him by even looking at sweet ol' Natalie. He was in control. But…I come along. Mr. Naïve, I start talking to her and it turns out she's got a sh-weet personality as well. She's the girl for me, I thought. What a babe."

Luna was still gasping and wriggling. She didn't want to hear the rest of his story. She well and truly didn't, but he continued, "People warned me y'know. 'Don't go near her, she's Robs property.' But I didn't listen. I started talking to her more and more and eventually we went out. To the circus… I remember the clown. He made both of us laugh. I loved that sh-weet laugh she had. Well…uh…afterwards, I decided to walk her home y'know. I was being the uh…decent guy. At her door, she turned to me and she said, 'you've got a beautiful smile. Why don't you smile more?' Course we weren't alone. Rob was lurking somewhere in the dark. When he heard this he uh… was angry. He suddenly launched himself at me threatening to choke me, but Natalie was crying and shouting for him to stop. He whipped out a knife and he said, 'Yeah…why don't you smile more eh? Natalie would love for you to smile more.' He placed the blade in my mouth, 'come on, you're making her cry. Why won't you SMILE!?'"

The Joker looked at Luna, she was no longer wriggling. She was breathing rather heavily, but he had her attention. "And…. Now I'm always smiling." He patted her cheek roughly.

He took the knife out of her mouth, much to her relief. There was a moment of silence. The Joker was staring at her hungrily. He licked his lips, "Y'know your current…predicament…has given me some ideas."

She didn't hear him properly; she was still lost in his words. She knew the story wasn't true, but the emotions radiating from him were. He was human once. He was obviously fucked around one too many times and it created…this.

"So…you're telling me that's why you're like this?" she spoke softly. Her words were barely audible, but the Joker heard and he wasn't pleased.

He growled in her ear, "Like what exactly…?"

Luna gulped. She wanted to say crazy, but she figured that wouldn't please him too much. "A murderer. A sick clown who enjoys watching people in pain."

The Joker clicked his tongue impatiently, "What else is there to enjoy-ah in this world?"

"Friendship! Love!"

The Joker laughed his manic head off, "Oh Looonah Looonah Looonah! You amuse me! Friendship?! Love?! I'm surprised to hear those words come from _your _mouth."

Luna suddenly looked defiant, "You think I'm incapable of love?"

The Joker slapped her head, "Wake up and smell-ah the coffee! You ought to know by now, that friendship and love aren't as good as they seem to be in the fairy tales. Those you love will always hurt you. Were all too different to get along _that _perfectly."

Luna listened to the Joker speaking and felt something. Grief. Absolute grief. What he said contained some truth and this shocked her. How could she be agreeing with this madman?

"We should all be lone warriors. Y'know…" he smiled, "but company is sometimes nice." He licked her face slowly, trailing his tongue from her chin straight up to her head.

Luna felt a sudden anger boil inside her as she felt the moist on her face. "Arrgh! Get off!" she screeched, backing off and shivering with disgust.

The Joker mocked a look of shock, "What?! You don't like it that way huh?"

"I don't like it any way," she hissed.

"Oh I see…" he kissed her full on the lips, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She tried to push him off, but he had pinned her wrists on the bed. She suddenly found herself pushing his tongue away angrily, with her own. This only enticed him however, this was what he wanted. She managed to pull away to take a breath, but his lips crushed hers as quickly as they left. She could feel his scars against her cheeks. It was _the _oddest feeling.

He nibbled her lip while she still attempted to break free. Eventually he sat back and smiled. He still held her wrists in a firm grip. She looked up at him; his lips were smudged with red. She had it all over her face no doubt.

The Joker leant over her and buried his face into her neck. Luna felt uncomfortable; his breath was hot against her neck and she couldn't see what he was doing. After a few moments she felt moisture on her neck as the Joker kissed it tenderly.

Luna felt herself melting to his lips. She instinctively pushed her head closer to the Joker's, wanting more. Wishing he wouldn't stop. This was unbelievable. Harvey had never kissed her like that.

The Joker moved his lips further down, closer to her V-neck shirt. He ripped it open with ease and started to kiss her cleavage. Luna moaned involuntarily. The Joker pulled back, flashing his sick grin. "You like that?"

Luna realized how wrong this was. How her body reacted to the soft massage of his lips on her skin. The warmth that radiated off his face as he kissed her. "N…nooo…" she gasped. Her body arched, wanting more, but her mind was fighting with her.

"You don't?" he bent in to kiss her again, "I would have thought…that…from…your…moan…that you were uh…enjoying it."

She gritted her teeth, furious at herself. "N…noo. I'm…not…enjoying…it," she gasped.

He began kissing the top of her left breast affectionately.

'_Luna…this is wrong…'_ She tried to fight him off, "Please…stop." She couldn't stand this. The way it felt so good. The way he knew her weakness. The way he pushed her tenderness to its peak.

The Joker stared into her eyes bemused and undeterred by her pleading. He was rock hard now. Luna could feel it against her leg. Nothing would stop him.

She was afraid to admit it to herself, but she was scared now. "Get off Joker. Please."

He gripped her wrists tightly and took out his switchblade. Luna's eyes widened, the pain in her leg intensifying. She had let him get too far. She had let him control her.

With one swipe of his blade, her bra was undone. He tore it off with his teeth and spat it onto the floor. Luna started shaking and he noticed it. It became a reality to her. What he was going to do.

He grasped one of her breasts roughly and she gasped with pain, "What's wrong Looonah? You're not a virgin are you?"

He lowered his lips and bit on her hard nipple. "Ah!" she cried out.

"I would have…thought…that…being…Harvey's…whore, you would be…more…_broken in_."

This comment made her feel more exposed than ever. Is this what people thought her as? Harvey's whore? "I'm…not…Harvey's…whore." She wriggled desperately.

He chuckled darkly to himself. She did not deny that she _was _a virgin. In fact, she completely ignored the question.

He let her go and stood up, leaving her gasping on the bed. He started pulling off his clothes. Luna stared at him, everything sinking in.

When he was down to his boxers. Luna glanced a quick eye over his torso. It was nice, if you were into that type. She rolled her eyes, here she was, almost naked, exposed as it were and she couldn't help, but look to see how well worked out he was. I guess her feminine side of her couldn't help itself.

She snapped back to reality and she tried to back up the bed when she seen him approaching. He took hold of her legs and pulled.

"Now…where were we?" he smacked his lips. His eyes travelled hungrily over her body. His eyes reached her pelvic area and she seen his eyes light up.

He ripped her knickers off. She squeaked, the chill was invading every part of her body. "Oh…we were at this point…" He lay on top of her, wanting to feel her breasts against his chest. Wanting to feel her shake with ecstasy.

She was shaking all right, but it was a build up of emotion. Every part of her knew this was wrong and she was so exposed under this…man. He rubbed the inside of her leg, close to her private place. She could feel it throbbing. _'Oh please don't start reacting...please.' _She disappoitned herself. She felt a slight moist inside that area. She moaned, the Joker had realized it too.

She felt him against her leg. It was groaning against the fabric of his boxers. It felt ready she reckoned, but she wasn't an expert in such matters, maybe she was wrong.

Luna was right. He didn't want any more foreplay. He just wanted to be inside her. He wanted to rip her open and take her innocence. Prove that she really did belong to him.

He pulled his boxers off and eyed Luna's face in attempt to read her thoughts. He read lush fear, but somewhere in there was lust. He knew it.

'_No way is that going to fit inside me…' _Luna thought as she stared at it. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and into her mouth. In one last attempt to save her innocence she begged, "Please…don't…"

"Don't what?" he leant in close to her entrance, teasing her. Teasing himself.

"Fuck me…" she whispered.

He laughed with glee, "If you say so!" To Luna's utmost pain, he entered her.

****

Sorry to keep y'all on hold, but I have coursework to do 

**Xo**


	14. The Effects

Luna gripped the sheets with sheer agony, whilst the Joker pounded into her, causing her to enter an unknown realm of pain.

The Joker glanced at her, sweating and arching her back. He grinned. He wished he could stop for a moment to savor every detail, but he was busy pushing and probing to find her soft spot. Her real agonizing ecstasy.

She felt the tears cold against her clammy face, the sweat drip off the Joker and onto her, settling itself in the nooks and crannies of her petite figure. She felt the blood trail everlastingly slow down her legs. Luna bit her lip to suppress an emotive scream she so badly needed to release. The feeling, the touching of him inside of her and the conscious of the cold outside was just…unbearable.

The Joker grunted, noises escaping from what seemed like an animal more so than a human being. He needed to hear her sub-conscious burst through her lips. The part that he knew was struggling to be heard. The part of her that enjoyed every minute of what he was doing to her.

She knew what he wanted. She wasn't stupid. He wanted her to enjoy it. They both knew she was fighting a losing battle. She could feel her body reacting far too excitedly for her liking. She clenched the sheets and bit down hard, drawing blood from her lip. Luna knew that it her sub-conscious was brimming and her strength dying, but she didn't want him to take her so easily, to trick her mind so effortlessly.

Luna used her remaining strength to look him straight in the eyes and gasp, "It…hurts…stop…"

With a giggle, the Joker picked up his pace, "thought…you liked some…pain."

He was running out of steam. Any minute she'll succumb or maybe she was stronger mentally than he anticipated. On cue her body jolted and a long-lasting moan escaped her lips. Her hips suddenly pushed upward, yearning for more contact and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

The Joker couldn't laugh his manic laugh. He wanted to. It was frustrating; she had him wrecked. She gasped a huge breath of air, while the Joker continued to fuck her wildly. She started to shiver; unaware of why she was doing so. With a smirk, he finally released himself into her and then collapsed in a heap on top, panting heavily. They both were.

Luna was still shivering. It was an overwhelming experience. Who would ever have thought…the Joker…? What was there to enjoy…?

Strands of hair were flattened on her face due to sweat. He leaned in close to her face and let out a wheezy laugh, stroking a hair away from her eye.

"You enjoyed that hmm?" he managed to say. He was panting heavily, which meant Luna was receiving an unpleasant dose of Joker breath.

She wanted to push him off her, but her arms didn't want to move. They were lying, numb on the bed. "Ever…heard…of breath…mints?" she choked out, "Or…toothpaste?"

He stared into her eyes, but Luna didn't make a challenge. Good. She now knew who was in charge. The Joker wriggled off her and made to put his boxers back on again, "Why bother with oral hygiene?"

She could have laughed, if her body wasn't so goddamn numb. Instead she let out a kind of 'Heh.'

The Joker jumped onto the bed and lay on his back. "Uh…can you move? Your in my uh…foot space."

Luna sighed and gave an irritated wriggle. She barely budged. "Give… me… a hand?"

"I'll give you a foot," the Joker kicked her so she rolled flat onto the floor. On her stomach. He smiled smugly when he heard a successful "Ooof"

She hit her breasts pretty badly. "You asshole!" she shouted, but she didn't move. She decided to fall asleep on the spot, not caring that she wasn't wearing any items of clothing.

****

Gordon paced the questioning room irritably. He held a constant scowl on his face, and he kept flashing Milo White dark looks.

The two-sided agent played with the folds of his trousers contently. They had nothing on him. Nothing, but the word of a man off his rocker. He was safe, he was sure of it.

"Let me get this straight…" Gordon clenched his fists and wiped his brow with the back of his hand, "You _don't_ know where the Joker is?"

"Nope." Milo couldn't hide his smirk. This drove the commissioner insane. He punched the tables fiercely.

"Are you sure about that?" he cocked his eyebrows in a challenging fashion.

"Pos-i-tive."

"Y'know I don't want to hurt you…" Gordon looked towards the door pointedly. The Batman waited in the dark, waiting for the signal to unleash his strength.

Milo laughed, "You can't hurt me! I'm just a suspect, you have nothing on me! That would surely be illegal! Against the law!"

Gordon raised an eyebrow and made for the door, "Son…I am the law."

*****

The Joker dug his finger into his ear and rubbed his eyes wearily.

Luna was shrieking at the top of her lungs. She scrabbled at the floor with her nails, longing for something to cling to. "No…STOP!"

"You stop…" the Joker grumbled, as he sat up and crawled to the edge of the bed to see what the hassle was about. He bit his lip and started shaking, but with contained laughter.

"Don't," she pathetically wheezed. Her eyelids fluttered revealing the whites of her eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. She sucked it in, also swallowing the salty tears that were streaming down her face.

The Joker let out a sharp laugh, but covered his mouth and grinned, "Is my Looonah having a nightmare?"

She let out an angry wail nearly deafening the Joker in the process. "Hey!" he growled angrily. "Thanks for that." He clicked his fingers in front of her face. "Uh…wake up."

It was evident that this wouldn't work, but he wasn't going to repeat himself. Instead he decided to play her vulnerable state to his advantage. He hadn't forgotten his objective to find out all about his little toy after all.

With a knowing and sinister grin he lay on his stomach and leaned on his elbows. "So…what'cha uh…dreaming about?" She smashed a nearby plastic bottle in response.

He raised his eyebrows, "Okay…. what's your name?" This seemed pointless, but he had to make sure, that she was in the state to answer his questions honestly.

He grasped her wrist and pulled so she was in a sitting position, "I don't like repeating myself…sweetheart. So tell me…what…is…your…name?"

"Luna…" she rasped. The Joker gave a delighted giggled and let her crash to the floor again.

"Now…" he jumped up a little, to emphasize his enthusiasm. "Like a sleepover isn't it? HAH!" He watched her trembling little arms and couldn't contain his urge to stroke them as if she were his lover. Of course, this is would be a case of _tough love_.

"What do you uh…want most?"

Luna frowned in her sleep. She was self-consciously thinking, but her mind was in two places. _She was chasing lots of little clowns down an everlasting, winding road. There were thousands of them; each had a powdered white face, green hair and a red-scarred grin. "Stop!" she shouted, chasing after them, her fists clenched angrily. They threw balloons in her direction and blew out of foghorns. Enticing her to keep chasing. _

"Love…" she murmured. The Joker mimed gagging as she continued, "to be loved…"

"What a waste…" he licked his lips, "But I guess it can be uh…played with…now lets see-ah…Aha! How are you feeling?"

Luna yelped as small hands smacked her ass. Hard. "You little bitch!" She kicked the clown flying over the horizon. Her eyes widened as she heard an echoing giggle. Suddenly hundreds out clowns floated up to the sky and waved at her. It was her turn to run away. The clowns could fly.

"Numb…" she twitched her leg and her face grew an apparent look of fear. The Joker was taken aback, what was going on in her head?

"What do you…" he hissed the last word, "_fear?_"

Luna stopped moving and her eyelids relaxed.

She suddenly lifted off the road and into the sky. "I can fly too!" she shrieked. "See if you can catch me now!" She soared and somersaulted gleefully, above dozens of tiny clown cars on the road below, and away from the perverted clowns in the sky.

"Weak."

"What?" he frowned.

"Weak…" she panted.

The Joker's face lit up, "You mean uh…you're afraid of _being _weak?"

"Weak."

"Or…maybe you're frightened that people would consider you as weak."

"Weak."

"Then…that would be a fear of other's opinions…" he scratched his chin, "Could you be more uh…specific?"

She suddenly felt herself slowing down. "What the…?" She screamed as she realized that someone was holding her legs. She looked down. The clowns below had made a human ladder and the clown at the top had a strong hold of her legs. Another had her feet, and more kept climbing up, emptying the cars. They all giggled viciously.

"Weak…" she hissed.

The Joker scowled, "time to wake up I think." He slapped her face, sending her on her face. She let out another ear-piercing scream.

He covered his ears, "SHUT UP!"

_The flying clowns caught up with her and swarmed around her body. More kept coming and wrapping themselves around her, like she was a clown magnet. She couldn't breathe. They hugged her tight, suffocating her. She felt more clowns from below crawl up her jumper and licking her neck. Two jumped on her face, covering her mouth. They had a hold of her arms; she couldn't move. She was helpless. _

"WAKE UP!" he shouted and Luna received a punch in the face. She jumped off the floor and bashed her head off a neighboring wall. She gazed in shock at the Joker. For a moment she didn't know where she was. Blood spouted from her nose, bringing warmth to her lips.

She blinked and covered it oblivious to the pain. "J…Joker?"

"Yes…" he was positively seething. He was panting heavily, from shouting so loudly.

She flinched, but didn't move away from the wall. The Joker approached her slowly, a dark look on his face. "Don't you know that you are supposed to uh…wake up-ah when I tell you to?"

Luna gulped and seemed to shrink, as his shadow was cast over her head. She was still pale and clammy from the fear of her dream. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to maintain control over her bladder.

"Please…" she whimpered. She couldn't look at him.

"Look at me…" he reached within striking distance.

She looked at the floor and took a deep breath.

"LOOK AT ME!" he shouted and grabbed her chin, forcing her to make eye contact.

There was a moment of complete silence. Her watery green eyes were pierced by his fierce brown-eyed glare. The Joker felt her shaking under his grip.

Suddenly Luna leaned forward and emptied her stomach juices all over the floor.

****

On top of the MCU, Gordon spoke to Batman grim news. "Harvey Dent hasn't been found yet. The reported missing bus contains 50 people. Role checks show that Harvey wasn't one of those people."

"But there were no bodies found in the wreckage?" Batman rasped.

"None…" Gordon whispered.

Batman watched the commissioner's distress seep its way through his body attitude. His face seemed to stoop low and his arms lay loosely at his side. This was clearly not the eager, determined commissioner he had once known.

"Go home Gordon. I'll keep a watchful eye."

Gordon shifted uncomfortably, "I would…it's just that…there is more news to deliver."

Batman waited patiently, watching Gordon intently. "Milo White has managed to escape…"

"That's the least of our problems."

"He helped in the capture of Luna!"

Batman cursed for the first time Gordon had heard. "We can't prove that just yet though…let me deal with it."

****

The Joker left Luna to empty her stomach contents in the toilet and went downstairs. Milo White, easy to manipulate and warp, was waiting for him. He had just escaped from Gordon's cage.

"Dee dee dum…" he hummed merrily to himself as he skipped into the sitting area, "Nice to see you've made yourself at home-ah."

Milo jumped off the sofa, "I…I…didn't notice you there…Boss."

"Well…that was foolish of you Marlow m'boy."

Milo glanced around the room, "Er…Milo."

The Joker waved his hand with distaste, "so…to what do I owe the displeasure Marlow?

"I'm called Milo."

"That you are. Aren't you a smart cookie? Remembering your own name like that? Anyways…so why are you bothering me again?"

"Oh!" Milo fidgeted anxiously, "I was proposing."

The Joker laughed mockingly, "How uh…flattering, but I've already got something to play with Marlow…"

"No no!" Milo grew irritated. Was this man purposely being annoying? "Offering a proposition. I was just wondering…"

"Yes?"

"If you might let me into your inner thug circle. I'm a bit tied up with the police at the moment so…"

"Oh I get it!" the Joker clicked his fingers, "You want me to protect you right?"

"No I…"

"I'm no babysitter Marlow…" Milo hissed slightly, but the Joker continued, "You may have completed one task very successfully for me, but that does not uh… mean I will stoop to the level of protection-ah. Y'hear?" He took a few steps closer to Milo and flipped his switchblade pointedly.

"Yes…I just. I really want to do some more…tasks, but I can't do any if I'm in jail. I was just wondering because…you tend to do a lot of things yourself. Maybe…I could get some action if I was by your side?"

The Joker glared at him. He was like an irritable little fly, buzzing away in his ear. "Fine," he smacked his lips together, "you can start by uh…mopping up the mess-ah my pet made on the floor upstairs."

"Mess…?" Milo clenched his fists furiously. He had found out where his 'toy' lived and everything she got up to. He even had to work with the prick Harvey Dent and pretend to be a big goody-two-shoes. "Right away Boss…" He walked edgily past the Joker and up the stairs. "If it's shit I swear…"

****

**I know its been ages…and its probably disappointingly short, but my next chapter is ready ******** So I'll upload these one after the other. Xo**


	15. Insanity?

Luna emerged from the bathroom weary-eyed and with the taste of sick in her mouth. She tried to wash the smell off, but she only had water to use. She also got changed quickly, to cover up her nakedness, although the shirt was ripped to pieces, she had to make do without.

The Joker wasn't going to want to go near a sick-tasting, sick-smelling, sweating, clammy woman; not that she was complaining. Recent events were still haunting her, causing her emotional numbness and the fucking up of her mind.

"Uh…hello," she stood stark still in the doorway of the bathroom, staring at the man cleaning up her sick.

He dropped the mop in surprise, but then grinned when he saw that it was not the Joker in the room, "Hello gorgeous."

Luna rolled her eyes and retreated back to the bathroom again. So he was one of _those _guys.

"No! Don't go. It'd be nice to talk to someone."

She looked at him and sneered, "What are you? The Joker's maid?"

He blinked, "No…I'm actually one of his thugs."

Luna laughed, "You don't look like a thug to me. You look quite weedy actually." She knew this offended him. Male pride was something she found amusing to play with. Well…not the Joker's. When she seen his face contort with anger, she couldn't help let out a giggle.

"I am a thug," he hissed, "A new one."

"Well then why are you cleaning up my sick?"

He glanced at the sick-covered mop he was holding. He suddenly threw it to the floor fiercely. "I'm not anymore."

"I'm not sure if the Joker will like that," she smiled.

"What makes you think the Joker told me to do this?"

Luna raised her eyebrows, "You just decided to clean up someone else's sick?"

"Might have."

Luna laughed out loud. She hadn't found anything so funny in weeks. This guy didn't look completely weak, but she wasn't scared of him. She didn't know exactly why she was mocking him; maybe she was turning into a sadist. Making fun of him seemed the ideal thing to do.

"I see you've met Marlow." The Joker sauntered into the room at ease with himself. He glanced at the broom on the floor and frowned. He went to pick it up, but Milo snatched it hurriedly

"Haha…I was just…uh…taking a break." He laughed nervously.

The Joker's brow furrowed, "You uh…don't take any breaks-uh."

Milo went back to mopping, embarrassed at being shouted at in front of a woman. Luna had stopped laughing the minute the Joker entered the room.

"Awh…you've stopped smiling…"

Luna gulped and fidgeted with her fingers. Was he waiting a response? The Joker flashed a toothy grin and walked to the bed, humming a song. He patted the sheets pointedly, to Milo's horror; there were various bloodstains. His eyes widened, but he went back to mopping pretending he had seen nothing.

Luna felt a bubble rise in her chest, he was reminding her of the previous night. She sucked in her lips anxiously and tapped her fingers off the door behind her.

"So Marlow! You finally meet my precious little Looonah eh?"

Luna didn't pay much attention; she assumed the Joker was purposefully pointing out how all his 'thugs' knew about her being his captive.

"Yeah…" he plopped the mop into the bucket and looked at the Joker. "Do you have like…a towel or some…?" The Joker's gaze put him off… "Uh…I'll just use my jacket." He pulled off his coat wearily and used it to wipe the water off the ground.

The Joker sat on the bed and crossed his legs, like a lady. "So…what do you think-uh?"

Luna heard this, but swallowed the anger bubbling in her throat. She was being completely objectified and treated as if she weren't present in the room.

"Mmm…" Milo said. "I see why you've kept her. Pretty face."

The Joker glanced in Luna's direction and licked his lips, "Pretty uh…body too."

Luna's eyes widened and she shivered involuntarily. The Joker laughed, "Yes…she's a lot of fun, but Marlow…"

"Milo."

"You must understand-ah…just because you helped in the capture doesn't mean you'll uh…get a turn."

Luna's eyes snapped to the situation, "What?"

"So…keep your eyes off her pretty face hmmm?" the Joker gave Milo a warning look.

"What?" Luna repeated.

The Joker stood up and mocked shock, "Huh? Didn't you know? He was working as a double agent for me. This is your uh…_ex-lover's _little spy." He grinned like a spoilt child. Oh how he loved breaking news to her. He loved the little expressions of awe that were etched on her face…and the way they tended to transform into fury. Quite like now.

"You…!" she hissed angrily.

"Oh this ought to be fun," the Joker giggled maliciously.

Luna leaped at Milo furiously. He raised his eyebrows in alarm, but hardly had time to raise his hands in self-defence.

She screamed wildly, while she pounded his head with her fists. He backed away, but she trailed him back, by the cuff of his shirt. "You fucking a'hole! You absolute dick!" she screeched.

"Get 'er off!" he shouted.

The Joker watched contently. He managed to twist her arm behind her back in an arm-lock. He charged her into the wall, "You little bitch!"

The Joker pretended to be sad, "Awh Looonah, I thought a feisty police officer such as yourself had more in ya…"

She shrieked like an animal and smacked her head behind her, making contact with Milo's nose. It started spurting blood. "Ow!!" he clapped his hands up to his nose and backed up a little.

She threw herself at him again, this time wrapping an arm around his neck and slamming him to the ground. He used both of his feet to kick her away, giving him enough time to struggle to his feet again. He reached for the pair of scissors lying next to the newspaper clippings on the small table. Luna's eyes widened and she swallowed. She didn't have a weapon.

She looked around panicking, as he readied himself for an attack. She pulled off a boot and threw it at him, skimming his head.

"Oh almost!" the Joker smiled.

She took off the other boot and kept it in her hand to use as a weapon. Milo came running at her, shouting like a caveman and slashing the scissors through the air. Luna was tackled the ground and her chest received a stinging slash. She tried to kick him off, but he grabbed hold of her ankles and swung her so she smashed her head into the wall.

She felt a rush of dizziness and for a panicking moment, she thought she was about to faint. She composed herself, but he did it again. This time her head made a sickening cracking noise. Okay…her head was now very precious, she'd had it smashed so many times before. She growled furiously and grasped hold of the door handle. She pulled herself with all her might and twisted her body so he tripped over the bottom of the doorframe. She struggled to her feet quickly, ignoring the spinning sensation. She stood on the calves of his legs and shoved her knee into his back. She grasped his hair angrily and yanked the scissors out of his hand as he tried to slash at her.

"See how it feels…to be hurt," she murmured and she slit his throat in one motion. She let him collapse onto the floor.

The Joker ran to her side, completely in awe. Did she just kill someone?

She grasped Milo's ankle tightly and dragged him across the floor and propped him up against the wall. Her face got splattered in warm blood revoltingly spraying from his neck. He gargled, trying to breathe.

Luna dropped the scissors to the floor. Who knew they could actually kill someone? She walked towards the bed and sat down, curling her legs up to her chest.

The Joker was still in shock. He stared from his dying new 'thug' to the sobbing woman on his bed. He shook his head, "Bye then Marlow."

****

**As I promised ******** Xo**


	16. Surprises all round

The Joker let his mind wander off. What did it mean to sacrifice? To give one's soul for the best interest of a person in mind? Would one act this through love? Or because they are terrified of their own fate? How complex the mind was. How interesting and…complicated.

As Luna shook with sobs, he could not help but wonder, what state her soul was in due to recent events. Was she likely to talk about it? Had she just sacrificed her innocent soul to avenge Harvey or was this in her own best interest? In other words did she willingly sacrifice herself?

Was he making sense? If anyone were to read his thoughts would they understand? Of course not. The mind is not a book; it is the centre, the core of every breathing organism on the planet. You had to be an expert to precisely interpret a mind. The Joker was certainly working on it. Wasn't that his objective; to successfully link Luna's actions to her thoughts? Eventually understanding why the hell she thinks the way she does and then using this exposure to bring her to the brim of insanity. Well…it was proving difficult.

Back to the point; why do people feel the need to sacrifice when he himself, has proved that one can live a solitary life? Was he truly insane? Or…did he really have no heart?

The Joker walked over to the sobbing woman on his bed and cocked his head to the side. To be honest…he really didn't understand why she was crying. Sobbing. Getting herself into such a state because of one unimportant death. So she killed a man. So what?

Was her soul so pure…? It couldn't be. She was a policewoman; she had killed before…he was sure of it.

"Luna…" he snapped his fingers irritably.

She looked up, her eyes puffy and red. Her lips were chapped and her face was flushed having had her head in between her knees for the past twenty minutes.

"Now that I have your attention-ah…" he glanced towards the bloody mess at the other side of the room, "you going to clean that up?"

Luna just gulped, which annoyed the Joker greatly. He yanked her hair, "_Are _you going to clean that up?"

She felt unbelievably cold. And numb. What had just happened in the last few weeks of her life? Everything. "No."

He threw her back his patience wearing thin. He had never been a patient man, but now…well people called him crazy.

Luna watched him pace the room. She felt a certain passiveness. Her mind was feeling too many emotions to truly feel anything. There was guilt in there somewhere and hatred…for herself.

"I've never killed out of anger before…" she spoke, not truly thinking about whom she was speaking to.

The Joker stopped pacing and glared at her, "What does it matter?"

There was a flicker of rage in her eyes, "I'm a murderer."

"So you killed someone," he shrugged and sat down beside her, pleased that she didn't try to recoil, "that does not make you a murderer and if it does…you were a murderer a long time ago…"

"How so?"

The Joker mockingly pressed a hand to his forehead, "Uh…you've shot people!"

"That's different."

"How so?" he mimicked.

"Because…" Luna bit her lip…what was he trying to say? That she was a bad person? "The people I've shot were only those who could not be controlled…and were a danger to the people around them…"

"Oh…" he got up…his trademark grin etched on his face.

"I've only shot one or two people…" she anxiously tried to explain, but he was walking away from her.

She ran behind him, but he kept walking. She wiped her tears off her face, "hey listen!"

The Joker stopped, "I am."

She gingerly touched his shoulder, "you should understand. I'm not a murderer… am I?"

The Joker turned to her, his eyes filled with menace, "well…_I _wouldn't say so. If you're a murderer I must be…uh a…psychopath!" He laughed in her ear causing her to jolt back, her hand feeling as if it were on fire.

He tapped his fingers on his chin, "Oh! I'm going to check on my hostages sweetheart and when I come back…Marlow here…better-uh be gone…" He leaned into her face, "Deal?"

Luna was horrified at the prospect of touching Milo. "H…how?"

He walked towards the doorway… "Use your imagination!"

The Joker left Luna standing in the middle of the room, staring at the empty doorway. She shivered as she thought about whom she was sharing the room with. She glanced at Milo with the corner of her eye and had to swallow the rise of vomit in her throat… "Shit."

*****

The Joker entered the cellar cheerily. Life could be _fun. Could be._ Well… he'd be surprised if anybody in Gotham could enjoy his or her lives. Nobody in Gotham can rely on old age to take them. Their lives were filled with fear and anxiety. The Joker could just snap at any moment and bring the unfortunate victim before him, for a rocky ride. He was unpredictable. Ha! The Joker had Gotham at his feet.

"Hello dearies!" There were about sixty people in the room; hostages and men in clown masks. They all turned to face him. The Joker skipped about the room, whistling and glancing at the hostages. Sickening them with his cheerfulness.

A woman's stomach rumbled. She grasped it and blushed embarrassed. She felt fear grip her as the Joker sauntered to her side. "Awh are you hungry?"

She nodded wearily. "Don't worry, you'll soon be put to use-ah!"

He started to walk away but stopped and turned to get a better look at her again. He lifted her chin up… "Where'd I get you from beautiful?"

The woman stared, her blue eyes watery from the anticipation and fear. "Well…the hospital…?"

The Joker slapped her. She grasped her face in shock and several people had screamed. "Don't try to be smart!" he hissed.

She just cowered towards the man sitting beside her. The Joker pulled her back by her shirt, "Where are you from?"

"G…goth…" the Joker punched her in the face. Her hands flew up to her nose as it began to spurt blood.

"What part of Gotham?" he was seething. How dare this pretty-faced-bimbo try the smart-alec tongue.

"Juuuss…j…j…just a few mi…miles from here…" she squealed and wriggled as he grasped her arm tightly. He stared into her eyes, demanding a challenge, but she gave him none.

"Mm…" he let her go and smirked.

She just blinked, allowing tears of shame to fall down her face.

"Y'know you've got a pretty face, but I've already got a pet." She stared at him fearfully. "And…. you're a bit of a wimp-ah."

He walked away and started examining several of the other hostages. She whimpered and allowed herself to crawl back into a corner, her dignity diminished.

The Joker skipped from one hostage to one at the other side of the room. He seemed rather pleased with himself.

"Boss…?" the thug nearest to him asked nervously.

"Yes…?" the Joker continued to slap and grope several hostages.

The thug swallowed, what he was going to ask was dangerous. The Joker wasn't generous in anything but money. "I was just wonderin'… can we maybe…have…y'know someone to play with?"

The Joker looked at him and frowned. "Is that what you all want?" he spoke to nobody in particular, but the men in clown masks nodded.

"Yeah well…it's been a wh…" the Joker grasped the back of the speaker's neck and whipped out his knife.

"Who is your master-ah?" the Joker growled.

The thug swallowed his fear, "You Boss."

"Yes. Me." The Joker threw him effortlessly against the neighbouring wall. He glared at his men. His eyes were dark and dangerous. "You all want to be typical cowardly criminals eh?" he challenged them. It was a rhetorical question, he wasn't expecting an answer. He made for the door, "I'm the _upper _class of criminal boys. You work for me." He turned to the panting man leaning against the wall, "And don't you uh…forget it."

****

Luna gulped and took Milo's wrist in her hand. "This is so…" she allowed several tears to escape her eyes. Never in her life had she cried so much. It didn't really matter now…she had already been robbed of her dignity.

She tried to drag him across the floor, but she was too weak. She dropped his arm with a thump. Luna squealed and kicked the hand off her shoe.

"I can't do this!" she backed away from the body, shaking her head vigorously.

She nearly tripped, but continued to walk backwards; keeping her eye on Milo's carcass.

"_He'll be really pissed." _Luna dismissed her thoughts. No way was she touching that…thing. No way…

She stood on someone's shoes and her back hit something soft and solid. She went to turn, but two hands gripped her shoulders tightly. She froze. "What a shame…" a voice spoke softly into her ear.

He let his hands rest there, lingering the feeling on. A patch of neck was exposed. It as so slender and warmth radiated from it. How he wished he could just… He could start to smell the corpse in his room and he snapped. Luna was thrown across the room where she smacked her back hard into the table. She lay there for a moment in shock. He seemed so gentle and now…

He yanked her up by the hair. Luna let out a wheeze and gaped her mouth open like a fish. "Ow…" her voice came out as a whisper.

"Didn't I tell you to get rid of him Looonah?" his voice sounded hoarse.

She didn't answer. He terrified her senseless. The Joker tightened his grip on her hair and tutted, "You'd think you'd have learned by now."

Was he expecting an answer? I guess it didn't matter whether he did or not. Luna still would not speak.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me with those little ears. DID'NT I TELL YOU?!" Luna winced, but remained silent. She flinched when she looked at him. His eyes were throwing daggers.

"Still won't talk-ah. Darling…you still haven't learned obedience."

He started off in the complete opposite direction, dragging Luna with him. She tried to stand up, but his pace was too fast. _"Don't scream…don't scream…"_ She bit her lip and hissed through her teeth. The Joker pulled her up and let her fall into the wall.

The Joker looked at his hands and smirked slightly. Luna followed his gaze and found with horror that his hand was clasping a fist full of her hair. She raised her hand to her head, but her it was throbbing so much that her hand's contact sent waves of pain through her body. She watched him sprinkle the hairs on the floor, completely at ease with himself.

Seeing the floor littered with her healthy blonde hair brought more tears to her eyes. He looked at her bemused, "Does that uh… teach you anything?"

She scrunched up her nose, trying to prevent her angry face coming through._ "Count to ten Luna…Count to ten…"_

"One…"

"So…why is Marlow still uh… here?"

"Four…"

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"

Luna flinched, but continued to count in her head, _"That's right…deep breaths. Seven."_

He smacked her face. Luna's eyes widened a second, but the shock passed. She clenched her knuckles, _"Nine…"_

The Joker kneed her in the stomach causing her to double over. She opened her mouth wide, trying to breathe. He had his switchblade out and in a flash, Luna felt it's coolness against the moist of her tongue.

He leaned into her face, his next words coming out as a low dangerous growl, "I don't think you need this anymore…"

Luna's eyes were positively brimmed over with fear. She blubbered, "Buss why?"

The Joker sneered, "You don't talk when you're asked to. It's a waste-ah."

"Wo! I'll ssalk!"

He lightly slid the blade down her tongue and out of her mouth. She instantly closed her mouth and started wriggling her stinging tongue around it.

"Now…_why _didn't you do as I asked?"

Luna stood up and made a small whimpering noise, "I…I couldn't."

The Joker smiled maliciously, "Why not?"

Luna closed her eyes and gulped. The Joker yanked her hair and her eyes flashed open.

"_That's it…" _She kicked him in the stomach and he fell over taken by surprise. "You son of a bitch!" she shouted fiercely. She punched him in the face. The uncomfortable feeling of his scars on her fist was there in a flash and gone again. Undeterred, she kicked him again. "STOP TOUCHING MY HAIR!" She sounded like a deranged narcissistic idiot, but she didn't mean it to sound as ridiculous as it did. She tried to compensate by hissing, "And my head!"

The Joker grabbed her ankle and pulled. She fell with an "oomph" flat on her stomach, but she jumped up as quickly as she was pulled down. The Joker was on his feet and his fist was flying through the air into… She rubbed her nose angrily. His attacks just made her more and more angry. He slapped the back of her head with all the strength he had ever put into a slap before. Luna saw stars for a few moments, which gave the Joker time to press her into the wall again. Her chest was throbbing now…her breasts completely squished by the Joker's merciless push.

"OW!" she shouted and tried to use her trademark backwards-head butt, but the Joker had seen it used before and was able to dodge it. "My fucking chest…" this sounded rather pathetic, but men did not understand how fragile breasts were. She already had bruises on them from the night before.

She screamed with rage and lashed out a kick, but he dodged this too. He returned the attack by kicking her in the ass. She jumped. He laughed sadistically.

"You sick son of a…" she was able to wrap her leg around his and tap behind his knee, when he was laughing. This light tap was all she needed. His knees buckled and she used this short space of time to twist her body and take a handful of his hair. "See how you like it when people pull _your _hair!" She gave it a hard yank, but was forced to let go when he pulled her skirt down. Yelping, she bent over to pull it up and was pulled by the ankle again.

She fell onto her stomach (again) and the Joker sat on top of her, his feet digging into her calves. "GET OFF!" she roared.

"I don't think so sweetheart," he grinned, "Don't we make a lovely couple-ah?"

"GET OFF ME!"

"Not until you've calmed down. I'm not in any rush. This position is very favorable."

Luna rolled her eyes and scrunched her nose in disgust. That. Big. Pervert. She wriggled some more, but the Joker just continued laughing at her struggle. She eventually stopped, realizing it'd be easier if she _did _calm herself down.

She sighed and looked at her hands. They were covered in green grease from the Joker's carelessly dyed hair. She thought of her own hair. How much was viciously pulled from her head?

He watched as she raised a hand gingerly to her head and started patting around, looking for a bald spot from where he had pulled her hair from. His mood was wavering. He wanted so badly just to… to…

He gave in to his body's demands this time. He found himself lightly kissing Luna's head and hair. At first Luna was uncomfortable and wriggled, but she found herself secretly enjoying it. It just shows you. When women feel most vulnerable, any man seems to trick her mind into liking them or their actions. Simply, because most woman secretly want to be cared for.

****

**Sorry for the delay. I wasn't able to get on the computer much. Homework! Exams etc… Thanks for reading Xo**


	17. Tainted

It was the oddest sensation. Luna knew that the man kissing her head was a monster. A merciless killer. A warped, twisted man. However…a personality not often seen was shining through the Joker. Luna felt passion in her heart once again. She felt that she could open up for this man.

Her body was slumped on the floor, relaxed. The Joker wasn't sitting on her properly anymore; he was practically lying on top of her. There was chemistry. Something drew him towards her; like a drug. She was equally drawn towards him. She could feel her heart pounding and aching. A moan of ecstasy escaped her chapped lips. "Please…don't stop…" she whispered.

Her words _did_ stop the Joker. He suddenly wondered what the fuck he was doing. He sat up and looked at her like a confused puppy. The sudden break of contact washed disappointment through her.

"What's wrong?" With much effort, she turned her head to look at him.

The Joker shook his head, "Why are you cryin' babe?" His mouth slowly turned up into his trademark grin. Luna's heart sank. He was his usual self again.

Luna wiped a few tears away from her eyes and sighed. The chemistry had vanished. The moment was ruined. She sat up gingerly; careful not to move too fast, but her head was still spinning.

The Joker stood up and walked to her side. She didn't need to look to know that he was towering over her. A shadow was cast over her figure. He wasn't angry; in fact he was almost passive. _Almost. _"Do we have to repeat earlier? I asked you a question-ah."

She watched everything in slow motion. She felt high except…this wasn't a nice feeling. It wasn't happy or cool. It was fucked up and fucked with. His tongue flickered in and out of his mouth. She opened her own mouth slowly, looking quite demented, "I was enjoying that."

She spoke with much difficulty. Every tissue and cell in her body was moaning for her to lie down and sleep. This wasn't an option however; the Joker was standing with a threatening and opposing manner.

"Of course you enjoyed it."

"Meaning?"

He wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively. She could have been sick, if there was food in her stomach to throw up. Up until this point she had forgotten about something vitally important. Food. Her stomach growled, furious at having been malnourished.

She smiled politely at him, but he took it the wrong way.

"Oh ho! So you do want some action then eh?" he let out a quick, hoarse laugh. "Maybe uh…later."

"No no!" she hissed, "Food please. Can I have some food?"

"I was supposed to get some kind of food plead from that smile? Hmm…"

She tutted angrily, "No! Okay! You're not psychic I get it! Can I have some food? I'm starvin'."

He leant into her face so that his nose was only inches from hers and he muttered, "I'll think about it." He walked away.

"What? You'll think about it?! I haven't eaten in days!"

He looked at her pointedly, "are you willing to beg for some?"

She tried to turn her head away disgustedly, but she only brought pain. She rubbed her neck angrily, "No I will not beg for some!"

His face held an 'I thought so' look. He turned his back on her, humming merrily to himself.

"Wait! Don't walk away from me…" she hopped to her feet. The room started spinning and she lost her balance. She plummeted onto the soft surface of the bed.

The Joker grinned sadistically, "Or… there's always uh…that way." He threw off his jacket.

She hurried up the bed, "No! No!"

He rushed over to the bedside. Luna raised her hands defensively, "No! I won't have sex with you for food."

He leaned in for a kiss, but she pushed his face away. "I said no damn it!" She scrunched up her nose and craned her neck away.

"But you were so willing earlier…" he held her face in place and stuck his lips on hers. She screeched furiously and bit his lip, but this only encouraged him. He started chewing on _her_ bottom lip, drawing blood. She tried to pull away, but his grip on her face was firm. _"Don't try the tongue…don't try the tongue." _He didn't try to enter his tongue to her relief, but surprisingly broke contact.

The Joker pulled her shirt up, revealing her stomach. She shrieked, the cold causing goose pimples to erupt. Images of the previous night flashed before her eyes, "NO! NO DON'T!"

He ignored her cries and pressed his ear to her stomach, "Listen! Your pretty hungry-uh." He kissed her navel, "are you sure you don't want food?"

She watched him triumphantly rise from the bed. Vomit rose in her throat, what was she about to do?

She rolled off the bed and crawled over to him on her hands and knees. _"Don't do it. Keep your dignity!" _She fought the voice back to its place. She had lost her dignity a while ago.

"Please…" she blinked the shame away, "Can I have some food?"

His smile was full of glee, "continue…"

"Please…" she clasped her hand together. _"Your pathetic." _Again she fought the voice back, "I'm so hungry. Joker…"

He kept his smile on and didn't say a word. Rage flickered behind Luna's eyes. What else did he expect her to say? She was on her hands and knees and her hands were in the praying position for God's sake. _"I knew you wouldn't tolerate it."_ The voice was right. She would not tolerate this behavior. She was better than this. No!She _had to_ do this or else he wouldn't give her any food.

Luna grasped his trouser leg and tugged, "Please _**Mister Jay**_."

****

If there was a more humiliating moment in her life Luna was unaware of it. The Joker _did_ however leave the room with a larger smirk on his face than usual. 'Mister Jay' seemed to give him a nudge. "One minute," he had said, with that sadistic voice of his. That _triggering _voice.

Luna perched herself on the bed anxiously, awaiting his return. She really _was _hungry. Her stomach was painfully throbbing and growling, and it was hard to concentrate on one spot of the room without nearly fainting. She was probably the gauntest creature ever to be laid eyes on.

She heard cupboards banging downstairs. She wondered what he would come back with. A plate of pancakes? A fry up maybe? _"Wise up." _More likely, a packet of crisps or a box of cereal.

The Joker purposefully stomped up the stairs, amusing himself by climaxing the situation. When he walked into the room Luna had a hold of the bed sheets to steady herself and held a look of a mild confusion. There was a crinkling sound coming from him. She couldn't hide her excitement.

He grinned, his arms behind his back, "Wait until you see what I've got you!"

Something was forcefully thrown into her face. It knocked Luna backwards. She steadied herself and grabbed the packet hungrily. She ripped it open animalistic, not bothering to check what he had given her. Everything spilled out of the packet and onto the covers.

The Joker sat beside her on the bed bemused, as she reached out on the bed to gather the fallen pieces of food. She grasped a hold of one and stopped, confused. She felt the rough shell and the odd hourglass-shape. She held it in front of her eyes. In the mean time, the Joker was biting his lip to stop himself from howling with laughter.

Her eyes adjusted to the food in between her index finger and thumb. There was a frown of rage, "PEANUTS!"

The Joker exploded with laughter, keeling over and grasping his stomach. Luna crushed the peanut with her fingers and tightened her hands into fists, "PEANUTS?!"

He couldn't possibly stand up he was laughing so hard. She flung herself at him clumsily, but he only needed to give her a light push with a vacant hand, to cause her to collapse on the bed.

She was seething with rage, "I haven't eaten in days! And you give me FUCKING PEANUTS!"

She tried to launch herself at him again, but he held her down with only one hand on her stomach. He was still laughing. It rang through her ears and melted her brain like fire on plastic.

"It isn't funny!" she started sobbing. She was just so sick of his trivial games. "I'm…so…hungry!" Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to steady her breathing.

"Then…eat!" the Joker shouted in between laughs.

Luna reached a shaky hand out and grabbed a bunch of peanuts. She crushed them feebly in her hands and shoved them into her mouth. She coughed and choked as she forced herself to swallow the broken shells aswell as the nuts.

The Joker, still giggling placed a hand behind her back and pushed her upwards so she was in a sitting position. He kept his hand there, supporting her while she stuffed her mouth with peanuts.

It wasn't long before the sheets were just left with a few broken shells (the rest Luna had swallowed.) She groped the sheets desperately. It wasn't enough.

"Not…enough…" she gasped. Her stomach was still growling with frustration.

"I've got another packet downstairs. Would you uh…like it?"

She looked at him, "More peanuts?"

"Yes…" he had to control himself otherwise he would keel over laughing again.

She blinked and growled in between her teeth, "No…not peanuts. _Real _food."

He removed his hand from behind her back and let her fall onto the bed. He jumped on top of her, sitting on her stomach and causing her to retch. "Don't…I'll be sick…" He leant heavier, letting out a slow growl.

"Now…" he removed his leather gloves and looked at his fingers, all the while Luna was gasping with both a lack of air and to stop herself throwing up. "What will you give-uh…me?" He had her face in his grasp, his cold, rough fingers making Luna shiver.

He dug his nails into her cheeks, "Y'know I _am _expecting an answer."

Luna had to choose her words carefully, if she wasn't careful…she could land herself in a completely undignified position. "Let me go…and I'll show you."

The Joker didn't hide his shock and he did let her go. He sat back off her stomach and on the bed, watching as she crawled clumsily towards him. _"Don't do it." _ She fell into him and crashed her lips onto his. His advantage height and strength meant he didn't fall over when her full weight was pressed against him.

He smiled into her lips and smiled wider still when she actually allowed him to enter his tongue into her mouth. She had lost her spark and didn't fight back. She was too tired.

She lifted her heavy arms behind his back and raked a hand through his greasy mop. This _enticed _the Joker's animalistic side to shine. He growled and grunted while he continued to ravage her mouth with his tongue. The heat between them was gathering and before long he fell onto her and allowed his hands to hungrily roam over her body.

Luna's eyes widened, she didn't want _this. _She thought one willing, passionate kiss would be enough for him, but he could not get _enough._ She _was _his drug.

He started ripping her skirt off. They continued to kiss, but Luna was no longer willing. She started nipping at his back to get him to stop, but she was _intoxicating _him.

She was already shirtless so he stopped kissing her and pushed his face into her chest. He bit through the material of her bra. Luna screamed with intense agony and dug her nails into his back. He allowed her to attack him with her nails. It was the biggest fail one could ever manage.

He growled with frustration as the bra was preventing him his beautiful present. He whipped out his blade and cut through the back of the bra. Luna screamed at him to stop, but he shoved his lips onto hers again, muffling her cries.

She gasped between the rough kiss as the cold air hit her breasts. The Joker grinned dementedly. He was almost drooling as he leant his head into her chest again. She bit his neck out of panic, but he groaned out of pleasure not pain. He licked her bruised left breast and then nibbled on the right.

Luna allowed this to get out of hand. She should have just allowed herself to starve. _"Well you might as well enjoy it now…"_ the voice sarcastically told her. "No!" she hissed through gritted teeth. His saliva was all over her chest.

The Joker took a break from his ravaging and brought the blade up to her neck. He grinned profusely, "My shirt if you please."

Luna's hand shook as she started unbuttoning it. _"Oh you're complying now."_ His shirt was off and was casually thrown to the floor. He glanced at his bugling trousers. She reached forward and slowly undid his zip. The Joker growled with consent and shook them off. He needed release soon. Preferably now.

Luna closed her eyes as he pulled his boxers off, not wishing to see _it. _She kept her eyes closed as she felt her underwear being slowly pulled off. Her breathing quickened. He reached underneath her and scooped her up by her bottom. She squealed as his nails dug into her flesh.

Instinctively she wrapped her legs around him. He nodded approvingly. It was always going to be so much more _fun _if she was willing.

Luna was complied simply because she knew he would take her no matter what. The more she held it away, the more painful it would be. Who knows maybe she would enjoy it.

It was so simple for him now. He could just lean into her, but he prolonged the moment. "This is an improvement Looonah…" he winced as his large member throbbed with anticipation. She blinked and leaned forward.

The Joker felt a warm moisture on his neck as she clamped her lips onto it. He groaned and slid himself in.

Luna had to cry out. It was no less painful than the last time. The ripping sensation was still there; like her body was about to be torn in two.

Her lips tried to close themselves together to form a pair of choppers on his neck, but they were constantly in an 'O' shape. She felt like a rag doll, just laying on his bed while he pounded into her. She was aware of the 'bucking hips' routine, but she could not keep up his pace. The Joker fucked her like they were the last two on earth. For all they knew, they were.

The feeling of him inside of her was a sick one, but nevertheless she enjoyed it. She enjoyed how wrong this was making her feel. The Joker's grunts merged with her cries. It sounded like a warped choir.

He continued to pick up his pace. Luna didn't want him to stop. The pain was unbearable, but sometimes pain was good. Out of all people Luna knew that at least.

She started shuddering; meeting her peak. She let out a long moan as the Joker came inside her. It was almost finished. Was it so bad that she didn't want it to?

When he collapsed in a sweating heap on top of her she couldn't help but wonder. These new feelings she was experiencing…would it change her perspective of him? Would it change anything at all?

He was still a monster. Having sex with Luna would not change the fact that he killed for self-amusement.

She was his hostage. Just because she had one good night with him does not mean she will continue to enjoy his company.

Luna felt drowsy. Her eyes demanded that she closed her lids just for a few moments. She did just that, sighing and running through her confused thoughts. Would he himself, be any more giving to her? She had just played along with him and ended up enjoying herself. Would he change his perspective of her?

With these last thoughts running through her head, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep. The Joker shifted himself off her and started to put his clothes on. He thought it necessary to punish her in the morning simply because she had fallen asleep while he was still on top of her and without consent.

He wasn't angry, but he felt the need now more than ever, to prove himself to her. He was not going soft. If anyone out of the both of them would be weakened, he'd make sure it was Luna.

As he pulled his shoes on, he contemplated what he could do to really make her broken; unfixable.

_I'll humiliate her. I'll mark her numerous times. I'll prove to everyone including herself, that she is mine. Always. Forever. I'll take the day off to really concentrate on my little project. I want her skin to __**burn **__when she thinks about me. _

****

**Argh! Well this chapter was sh!t. I hope I didn't give you any false hopes. I've just been thinking how different people evaluate what it would be like to be the Joker's hostage. Well…I want to prove to Luna, that he isn't worth messing with. Xo**


	18. Corrupted

Luna awoke to the smell of something unbelievably aromatic and sweet. The smell of thick golden syrup reached her nostrils causing her to literally drool. She followed the smell, her eyes closed, letting her nose lead the way to the delicious scent. When her nostrils started quivering, she opened her eyes and sighed as her stomach growled.

There was a tray on the coffee table. On it was a plate of pancakes, golden syrup positively dripping off the pile of six the Joker had left for her. Luna let out a gasp as she seen another plate, this one had a huge (I mean huge) steaming hot jacket potato covered in butter, which had not yet fully melted, but was half liquidized and oozed out of the fluffy potato like one would squeeze juice from an orange.

There was a short note on the tray; _'I'm a man of my word. I overindulged last night. You may overindulge this morning- Joker' _

He _was _a man of his word. Luna felt a bubble of glee rise up in her chest. _"Savor it." _She picked up a knife and fork and slowly cut through her first pancake. The texture of the bread was beautiful, soft and thick. She _would_ savor this. Very much so.

*****

She better enjoy it while it lasts. The Joker had something in mind for her. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't one who made plans regularly, but he really wanted to make her suffer today. Yesterday she got it easy. _He _was easy.

The Joker slammed his fists down on the desk in front of him. Many of the occupants jumped of fright. A few opened their mouths to speak of outrage (embarrassed they could get caught off guard so easily), but the Joker started before they had the chance, "I was just thinking-ah… none of you have given me any useful information or _qualities _that could possibly be of use."

He looked around the room rather pointedly, "Look at you! Practically groveling at my feet. You call yourself men? You call yourself _Mob leaders?" _he sneered.

The Italian bodyguards clicked their tongues nervously; they weren't the only ones that were uneasy. When the Joker was in this kind of mood, who dared to oppose him?

"So what is the point of your dilly-dolling?" he cocked an eyebrow challenging anybody to speak up. "You ground out a little profit…the police try to shut you down one block at a time… it's so _boring…_"

Still nobody spoke, but the tension was reaching its peak. "This city deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm going to give it to them. Tell your men they work for me now." He looked around the room daringly. They looked so pathetic. Each leader had a look of both anger and fear. Nobody wanted to come out to play. "This is _my _city."

The Chechen stood up and bravely, but stupidly advanced to the Joker, "They won't work for a _freak._"

The Joker smacked his lips together, "Freak eh? _Freak!!!_ I'm hurt Bobby-boy." He had him in his grasp before anybody had the time to whip out a gun. Everyone's chairs squeaked as they scraped them across the ground. "How about we cut you up and feed you to your pooches? Then we'll see how loyal a hungry dog really is!"

He chucked a blade to one of his men, "Make it quick." Dozens of the Joker's men advanced on the Chechen and dragged him from the room. Grunts and growls could be heard as he tried to fling himself away.

"Well at least he isn't a squealer," the Joker smiled.

"How dare you!" Maroni scowled.

The Joker played with the inside of his jacket, twirling a very noticeable string around his index finger. He tutted, "Now now…we'll have none of that."

Maroni eyed the string with unease. If that was a bomb…

The Joker resumed conversation, "Italian you've disappointed me…" More of clowned figures swarmed the room and stood imposingly behind each group. "I'll bring this city to its knees no matter how many of _you _I have to bring down first-ah. 'Kay?" The pleasure of silence met his ears. He nodded approvingly and left swiftly from the room.

"Now let's check on my science project."

*****

When Luna finished her rather scrumptious two-course meal, she felt like a tank. She couldn't shift her weight to the bathroom to take a shower. Instead she sat at the edge of the bed, thinking. She was in an excellent mood this morning, even though she was being held against her will. She was sinking into the bed covers, her skin mashing with the soft texture of the duvet…

Even though she had a very refreshing (not to mention over 12hours) sleep, she was feeling rather drowsy.

Her brain willed her body angrily, that she was a smelly sweaty pig that needed to take a shower, but her relaxing muscles said no. "Mmm…" she fell backwards on the bedding and lay there. Her eyelids flickering as she moved continuously in and out of consciousness.

When the Joker entered the room the silhouette of what could have been a model pleasantly surprised him; sprawled out on his bed, completely at ease with herself. He walked to the edge of the bed and loomed over her and his eyes glanced over her body. He had to fight the lust that was probing his mind.

The woman yawned and stretched her arms out, hitting his chest. She froze and frowned. Without opening her eyes she allowed her arms to explore what interrupted her personal sleeping space. She smiled. Not quite 'with-it', she whispered, "Hello."

It was a nice gesture; the Joker could not doubt it, but it was intolerable. Her sweet (not to mention highly favorable) mood could not be endured. Something ate away at his brain as he contemplated what form of punishment was redeemed necessary and did he _really _want to ruin this perfect moment. Was she ever likely to be in such a mood again?

He felt a weakness overpower his insistence to inflict pain on the girl; and he didn't like it. Not. One. Bit.

Luna yawned again. This lazy gesture snapped a twig in the Joker's mind. He grabbed her ankle and swung her off the bed. She let out a shocked yelp as her back slammed into a neighbouring wall.

"What'd you do that for?" she yelled; her eyes snapped open and alert, her patience tired.

The Joker threw a large baggy jumper at her, "Put this on." He growled through his teeth as he resisted the urge to snap the jumper back and claim her where she sat.

The jumper hit her full in the face and she inhaled a disgusting sweaty-burning smell. "You could have woken me up a tad nicer!" she snapped, angry at having been awoken in such an unpleasant way just so he could demand her to put on a smelly old jumper.

She pulled it over her head and shakily stood up. The jumper fell just past her bottom, "who owns this anyways?"

The Joker's animalistic urge was put at ease. He could now do what he needed to do.

With the flash of an eye he twirled her around and pushed her chest-first into the wall. She screamed angrily as he bound her wrists together and hooked them onto a rusty nail sticking out from the wall.

He walked away admiring the scene and created a square with his fingers. "Perfect."

She shook her wrists, trying to unhook them from the wall, "What is?"

He flashed her a gleeful grin and disappeared far from where she could crane her neck to see.

She desperately twisted and turned to see where he went, but her body was giving her jolts of pain to remind her just about how far you can push the human anatomy. Luna sighed and returned to freeing herself from her bonds.

She hissed and grunted, as she had no avail; she was too petite to unhook herself. "Right…" she swung backwards a bit and placed her feet on the wall.

As she was about the walk upwards to unhook herself, she received a lashing-stinging pain on the back of her legs. She cried out in both shock and pain; the force of whatever hit her forced her legs to fall off the wall.

The Joker tutted and slapped his leather belt against his hand, "We'll have none of that sweetheart."

She turned to him and shouted, "Bastard!"

She received another lash with his belt. She cried out again as the back of her thighs stung. Craning her neck, she saw that redness was emerging on both.

"Will I uh…have to wash out your mouth too?"

"Fuck you."

There was another whipping-cracking sound as leather hit her flesh. "Will you ever learn?"

He hit her again for good measure. This time her legs collapsed. Thankfully the crooked nail on the wall supported her weight. Well…_thankfully isn't the word_…

She tried to regain her balance, but her legs were shaking too much. She allowed herself to swing lamely, her knees hovering just above the ground.

"Get up!" he snapped and the same whipping-action was carried out. She let out a strangled sob as she tried to stand up and winced with pain as she straightened her stiff legs.

"What happened…to…this morning?" she cried out.

"What about this morning?" he lashed out and she fell again.

She slowly regained her balance and shakily stood up. "You…seemed…like…you were in a …good…mood," she breathed out.

"I still am in a good mood…" Luna dug her nails into the roped-bounding as she prepared for another lash-out, "Besides…the food was only there because of last night. I told you…"

Luna screamed with agony as the stinging pain attacked her again. "I'm a man of my word," he finished his sentence.

"So why are you attacking me now!" she shouted. Something pierced her skin and she squealed loudly, her legs were throbbing madly. "That was the metal bit!"

"Oh whoops," he grinned, "As to why I'm 'attacking you' as you so wrongly put it, there isn't really a reason."

Luna glanced behind her and managed to foresee another lash-out coming. She threw herself sideward, but the bonding hooked on the nail limited how far she could swing. She flew back to the middle of the wall as quickly and as forcefully as she dodged the blow. Her breasts scraped against the wall. She hissed behind her gritted teeth, "then why…?"

Her heart throbbed angrily in her chest as she heard footsteps coming closer and heavy breathing in her ear. The Joker drawled, "Poor Looonah, thinking everything has to have a reason…" He stroked the marks on the back of her thighs almost tenderly, but as far as Luna was concerned there was nothing tender about him.

"Stop touching them!" she shrieked almost crazily. The stinging was unbearable and it caused her to choke out in her agony.

The Joker cocked his eyebrows and studied the only oozing cut on her bruised flesh. He lowered his lips to it and kissed it. Luna gasped, she could feel blood leaving her skin and sitting on his lips. "But…I uh…made these…" he whispered darkly.

He stood up straight and leant forward over her. Smirking at her struggle he unhooked her wrists with ease.

She collapsed on the floor and shook with suppressed sobs. "Stay…away…" she could barely string together a sentence.

He chuckled to himself. Even in her pain she was remaining defiant, "I'm not finished-ah…yet."

She shook her head knowing all too well that she would achieve nothing by doing so. What was he going to do to her now?

Luna's bottom lip trembled with fear. _"Oh well done Luna." _She shook her head again. She did nothing wrong; nothing to deserve this punishment, but as the Joker said; not everything had to have a reason. After all, when did the Joker have a reason for doing anything?

Why did he kill Rachael? Why did he show up at Bruce's party? Why is he so intrigued by Batman? Why did he choose _her _as his little plaything?

I'll tell you why. Instinct.

If instinct _was_ the reason then maybe Luna could change what he was about to do. Warp his instinctive actions into maybe…sparing her?

But how? How could one alter a mind that one does not understand?

Luna was snapped back into reality when he grabbed her wrist and gave her arm a sharp tug. She tried to yank it back from his grasp, but he had a firm grip.

"You told me once…" he began, licking his lips, "that what you fear most in this world was to be weak. There are many ways that one can feel weakness…"

Luna stared at him horror-struck. When had she told him such a thing?

"There is mentally…physically, emotionally…"

Luna didn't understand, she'd never be so stupid as to say that.

"There is also the uh…opinions of people. Are you frightened that others would view you as being weak?"

She gulped, "I don't…know wh-what your talking about."

He twisted her wrist harshly. Luna cried out and tried to pry it from his grasp, but he had it at such an awkward angle.

"You're lying to me. I'm hurt."

She gasped like a baffled fish and twisted her body to try to accommodate her wrist's position, but the twang of pain shooting down her arm only increased. "You're…the one…who is lying."

He slapped her knocking her sideward, but he kept his grip on her wrist. She didn't fall, but she heard something crack. He was breaking her wrist surely.

The Joker snarled at her, "I have proved that I'm a man of my word."

Luna obviously greatly insulted him. If she were wise she would succumb. "Wh-what…do you want to know?" her defeated tone came as a surprise to even herself.

The Joker's tone of voice also changed and his sadistic smile was on his face again, "What exactly do you fear-uh?"

"Well…" she told herself that she could do this, she was fully capable of opening up to other people. If she couldn't, that would be her weakness. "I…I…"

He gave her wrist another hard tug, "Get on with it!"

"I…guess I should start from the beginning. I…hate people knowing things about me. From when I was little…I feared people knowing my secrets. Heck…I even hated people knowing my name. I was forever keeping myself in the dark…"

The Joker opened his mouth to speak, but she cut across him, "Why you wonder is this relevant to weakness? Because…it was my own weakness I feared. This whole episode that if someone found out anything about me which I wanted kept a secret…I'd have to frighten them into keeping their mouth shut. I was defiant even from an early age…"

There was a silence in which the Joker seized the opportunity to question her, "Then why uh… not try to get better?"

She smiled slightly, "I tried… and for a while it worked. I made friends. Of course Rachael was there through everything...she helped me…" Luna sniffed, "But when Mum died…I closed up again. My mind told me how pathetic I was. How everyone now knew about me and would use it against me. I turned cold against the people I cared about…eventually becoming this shallow soul…"

Luna's whole stature sunk, but the Joker tugged her wrist to get her to sit up again. She winced, but nevertheless continued with her story, "I promised myself that I'd never let anybody know about this 'problem' I had. I even pretended to Rachael that I was better to fool everyone into thinking I was normal. Pathetic…how I couldn't even trust my own sister. Sorry where was I…? Oh yeah… Harvey entered my life and I seemed to leave everything behind. My little fear. My weakness. I opened up more. I allowed myself to love someone and in return I was loved. But look where that landed me? Back into a crumpled pathetic waste. So there you are Joker…" she hissed, her attitude becoming dark, "I fear people knowing about my weakness. I fear people using it against me."

The Joker dropped her wrist and she massaged it. Bringing it up did _not _make it better. Rachael told her that the more she talked about it the better it would become. Eventually she'd 'keep her trust in people' but she was so wrong. It would have been better if it stayed in the back of her mind.

The Joker saw her change of attitude in the last few moments of her speech. It enticed him even more. So…he knew that there wasn't something entirely right upstairs, but he never really knew why she put up such an aggressive front.

"Interesting…"

Luna's eyes slowly met his and she glared with an utmost intensity of hate. _"Interesting…?_ That's what you think it is do you?"

He smiled. Oh… it was simply wonderful. What had he awoken? "Yes I do."

The Joker crouched down so he was close to her face. Luna still had her wrist in her hand, but the Joker remained the subject of attention. "Oh that's right…I'm just your little toy."

He licked his lips. Any minute she'd crack now. Any minute…"Yes…that's exactly what you are."

She shot him more daggers through her eyes and went back to massaging her wrist.

Disappointed he continued, "And now I know your little secret. Now I know your little…_weakness._"

His drawling voice, his sadistic slow…dangerous voice made her want to crush his skull with her very fingers. She flung herself at him snarling like an escaped animal, her teeth were bared and her fingernails poised. She'd claw his stupid-clown face to pieces.

The Joker was prepared, but nonetheless he received a fair scratch at his neck. He grasped a handful of her hair and sent her flying across the room, but she was on her feet again within seconds; anger pulsating through every vein in her body.

"And people call me crazy…" he allowed her to knock him to the ground. He found this very amusing. Very amusing indeed.

She threw herself on top of him, scratching at his face and punching his chest, but he laughed. He _laughed._

"You son of a bitch!" she shouted attacking him with all the strength she could muster.

"No need to shout lovie! I can hear you perfectly fine from here." He continued to laugh.

She punched his face furious that he was laughing. Feeling made fun of. "I fucking HATE you!"

The Joker stopped laughing and tutted, "A ta ta! What did I tell you about cursing?"

"Shut up!"

The Joker frowned and his eyes darkened. "That isn't wise sweetheart…"

It was Luna's time to laugh, but it wasn't _her _who was laughing. It was a manic, evil hysterical laugh. She sneered, "You think you can threaten me when I have the upper hand? Stupid crazy bas…"

He flipped her onto her back easily and sat on her stomach, "What were you saying about an upper-hand Babe?"

She screeched madly, "Get off!"

"If you say so…" he jumped up and pulled her with him. He picked her up above his head while she wriggled and writhed.

"What the fuck are you going to…?!"

He slammed her down onto the ground. She arched her back and tried to breathe, but he had winded her. She tried to lash out at his leg, but her muscles were throbbing, her back felt like it had been snapped in two.

He crouched beside her, "Look what your fear is doing to you. If only I could let Crane have you for a day. It'd be a field day for him."

She kicked out, tears streaming down her face with the pain from kicking too forcefully. He stood on her ankle and she heard a sickening crunch. She screamed in agony and she didn't stop. Her throat closed up and her chest stuck out as she tried to breathe, but she was still screaming, using up every breath in her body.

He got off her ankle and picked her up by her neck. He held her at arms length. She was turning purple, but he wasn't applying much force really.

"If you don't uh…calm down I might do something I'll regret."

She couldn't speak, breathe or move any of her limbs. She tried to scream, but her mouth remained in a constant 'O'.

The Joker tapped his ear mockingly, "Sorry? I can't quite hear you."

She mouthed, "You're going to kill me" with much difficulty.

He dropped her at his feet. Her legs gave way and she collapsed. She'd never been in such a state in her life. Her ankle was a curious purple colour and was throbbing like…like fuck. I know that was a blunt way to describe it, but it was so unbearably painful that she just wanted to end her life there and then.

"Good news!" he beamed at her like a child receiving some gummy-bears. He completely ignore the fact that Luna was nearly dying on his floor. "I've finally came up with an idea for my hostages! Now… one of my men had the guts to tell me that they were starving to death. I disposed of him, but I still thought 'well…that won't be any use.' Not any use at all."

He studied her for a moment; "I'm taking you with me tomorrow. It is the day that Gotham will be at my feet. Much like you…" he giggled, "I wouldn't let you miss that for the world."

*****

**So…now you know about Luna  She's a bit psycho isn't she? Nonetheless I hope you don't think too low of her. I really didn't want to finish this chapter… but my fic is regretfully coming to an end. A few more chapters should do it!**

**Don't fret! There won't be any sequels, but I have ideas for a new fic. It will be nothing like this one, but hopefully you'll still glance an eye at it to see if you're interested. Thanks for reading. Xo**


	19. Out, but certainly not about

Luna could not get to sleep that night. The Joker's eerie drawl repeated itself consistantly through her mind, _'I wouldn't want you to miss that for the world.'_ Miss what exactly? What had he planned for his hostages?

Her ankle throbbed angrily demanding assistance and a huge fucking ice pack. She moaned and bit her lip. What the Joker had forced her to endure was worse than domiestic violence. It was also worse than carving his trademark smile into her face. At least then she might have bled to death. _Might._ She didn't really understand what was holding him back from killing her. He already pryed out her darkest secret.

"_He pryed out something more." _Luan cursed under her breath. The Joker had coaxed out something more than a secret. A weapon. After all those years of burying inside herself, he managed to awaken a bloody monster. Who knows what she will do with her anger now?

On top of it all, she had the irristable urge to scratch little markings into her skin. Wait, _more _than just little markings. _Big _markings. To watch the blood drip slowly off her arm and onto the floor which she would later crumple on in a bloody heap.

She shook with silent laughter. She wanted it. She wanted this _so bad_, yet the only sharp tool available in the room would be the Joker's switch-blade. _"Or the mirror in the bathroom." _

She took a sharp intake of breath and looked at the sleeping carcass on the bed. "Too noisey," she whispered. But did she really care?

"Don't even think about it." Luna's eyes widened and she looked at the Joker's still, peaceful face. Did he just speak?

"I'm not thinking of anything," she murmmered and watched for a reaction. The Joker's eyes lazily flicked open, but they remained unseen. The dark brown pools were invisible in the lurking dark.

He moistened his lips and closed his eyes again. "Good."

"_Well theres __**that **__plan out the window." _She rolled onto her back to shield the tears of frustration that were beginning to form in her eyes. Big mistake. Bolts of pain rocketed through each nook and cranny on her back, each little indent the Joker had inflicted upon her with his belt were screaming bloody murder.

As she rolled back onto her side again, nearly crushing her swollen wrist, it took huge bites on her bottom lip and the clenching of her unharmed fist to stop herself from screaming, 'I hate life.'

*****

The following morning was a blur at first. The Joker had already left by the time Luna awoke and he had left a few of his thugs behind to see to her.

"New clothes." Luna was too dazed to know where this grunt came from. It could have came from an animal.

She lifted the clothes that were thrown at her and noticed a bare of black heels. "My foot won't fit in that." She awaited a response, but didn't receive any. Sighing again she asked politely, "Can you turn your heads?" Again there was a silence.

Feeling completely humiliated she tried to stand, but she collapsed on the floor. She screamed with the rage that had been supressed, "Are one of you going to help me?!" The men smirked, but a rather smug, broad shouldered man ordered someone to help her.

The man who had been ordered to help her onto her feet reluctantly started forward and picked her up easily by under the armpits. He then threw her back onto the bed again and walked back to his position at the door.

Allowing a few tears of humiliation to streak down her face, she pulled off the smelly jumper she was made to wear. She hid under the blankets to hide taking off her underwear.

All the while, the tall, broad shouldered man stared at her. Still smirking as he pictured what she looked like under there, but he didn't have to picture what she looked like, the boss was gone. _He_ was in control now.

Luna had already gotten her new underwear on by the time the man had approached her. "What…are you doing?"

He didn't speak, but instead he snatched the covers off her. She screamed with surprise and covered herself up with her able hand.

The man cursed and hissed at her, "Why'd you put the underwear on?!"

Luna felt vomit rise in her throat, "Because…they were left for me."

"Shut up!" he slapped her harshly across her left cheek.

Luna's breath caught in her throat. She would not let this scum treat her like dirt. The Joker had the ability to overpower her, but this man… She glared at him hatefully waiting like a large cat in the safari, waiting for its prey to make a move.

"Take them off," his voice was rough and demanded control. Oh super. The dominant wolf of the pack.

For a moment Luna just glared at him. This man had no patience; she could see his brow twitching as he awaited an answer. She didn't keep him waiting any longer, "I don't think so."

With a growl of anger her grasped her face in his large hand. "Now!" he snapped.

Luna gently placed her hand on his manhood and rubbed with earnest. The man's eyes widened with surprise and he followed her gaze.

Luna felt it slowly bumping up below her hand and she watched the man's face as it contorted from anger to surprise to pleasure. "Fuck yeah," he grunted trying to keep his composure.

The other men in the room looked at each other uncertainly. Luna winked at them and continued her hand movements. She stopped for a moment and cupped it in her hands. "Fuck you!" she hissed before crushing it in her hand.

The man screamed with agony and tried to yank away, but she squeezed tighter, making use of her lengthening nails. "D'ya like that now, you stupid bastard?" She reached out with her good leg and kicked him away, landing him on the floor with a loud thump.

The man scrabbled away completely bent over and his hands were cupping his privates pathetically.

"A man's ego is always destroyed with his balls," Luna muttered, pleased with herself.

"Well don't just stand there!" he shrieked at the other men, "get her!"

Luna's smirk was wiped off her face as she saw three other men advance on her. "Um…" she couldn't take that many…especially with her sore ankle.

"Enough." The recognisable voice stopped the men in their tracks. Luna could only be grateful that the Joker had come back.

He walked across the room almost majestically and glanced a quick eye over the scene. His attention lay a while on Luna whom swallowed a large lump in her throat. Then he cast his eye at the grovelling man on the floor.

The Joker tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy and with a flick of his tongue, he moistened his lips. For a few minutes or more…there was a tense silence. When the Joker finally spoke everybody in the room took a sharp intake of breath, "Do you know what the Japanese did to the citizens who uh…disobeyed?"

He walked over to the man on the floor and grasped him roughly by the hair, "They _**scalped **_them."

The man started sobbing and pleading, but the Joker whipped out his switchblade and held it to his hair. "Be thankful I clean this thing…" He slid it down so it dug into his scalp and began a sawing-like motion. Luna closed her eyes, but not her ears. The man's piercing screams shot through her like lightening.

Brutal images flashed in her mind. One could not even describe the ferocity of the Joker's action, but there was blood. Lots of blood.

When the Joker had finished, he purposely let the man live; to learn from his mistakes. He still screamed his lungs out so Luna kept her eyes closed. The Joker walked over to her and touched her arm. Her eyes shot open and she opened her mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips, "finish getting dressed."

She nodded solemnly. He walked to the other side of the room and waited while she buttoned a new shirt and awkwardly slipped on a new skirt. She looked at him with wide eyes and murmured embarrassingly, "my foot won't fit in those shoes."

The Joker smiled slightly, "Because of your uh…ankle?"

"Yes. It's swollen."

"I'll send someone to look at it and…get you more uh…roomy…shoes."

"Thank you." Luna watched him leave the room along with the other three men. The de-scalped man was still lying on the floor. Alive. Luna gagged and turned her back to him.

****

The Joker sent a pair of snow-boots into the room aswell as a specialized (and violently shaking with fright) doctor.

He told her to sit down, took her ankle in her hands and poked and probed at it. Luna bit her lip, from both pain and anger. She wanted to yell her head off at the doctor for purposely inflicting pain on her bad ankle, but something told her not to. He was a victim as much as she. Well… not quite so much.

When the doctor was finished he walked over to the awaiting Joker by the doorway to tell him the diagnosis. This annoyed Luna further. _She_ had the right to know at least what was wrong.

The Joker nodded to his men and they **accompanied **the doctor out of the room. Rather awkwardly Luna twiddled her thumbs. The Joker spent a further ten minutes simply staring at her. His eyes bored into her brain.

"It is broken," he finally spoke. Well Luna thought that that was obvious. From the way the doctor was acting, she'd have thought all the bones were crushed and would never grow back… or something to that effect.

He pointed to the boots on the table. "One of my men will help you down the stairs," with this he left; presumably to check on his hostages.

She hobbled over to the table, praying that she didn't fall over. "You!" she pointed at the man guarding the door, "Um…can you help me…get into this boot?" She was mortified.

He shrugged and walked over to assist her. Luna leaned on his shoulder while she slipped her left foot into the shoe. She didn't need to lean on him for the right shoe.

"Here…put your arm around my shoulders…" When Luna had wrapped her arm around the man, he cautiously walked with her. Luna couldn't suppress the warm smile that spread on her face. It was about time she met someone relatively kind.

"Are those shoes better for you?" the man spoke as she helped her down the stairs.

"Yeah…thanks for asking. What's your name by the way?"

"Ben."

"Ben…" Luna repeated. She wondered why on earth such a man would devote his life to the Joker. "Hey why…"

"I'll take it from here Boy," the Joker greeted them as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Ben smiled comfortably at her and then left her leaning against the wall. Luna stood stock-still waiting for the Joker to 'help' her. For one mad moment she thought he was actually going to allow her to lean on his shoulders for support, as he stepped forward pointedly. When she let go of the wall to wrap her arm around his shoulders, he effortlessly scooped her up and draped her over his shoulder like Santa Claus would do to his toys. "Male ego…" she breathed to herself and rolled her eyes.

As he walked, Luna was bumped uncomfortably up and down. She dug her nails into his shoulders, but the large pads on his jacket probably prevented him from any damage. "Oh God…this is so embarrassing…" she prayed silently.

The cold air hit the back of her neck and she involuntarily shivered. She turned her head and spotted a white van with the back open and a school bus. Luna watched as the white van got closer and closer and then closed her eyes, as she knew what would happen next. She was thrown into the back of the van like a rag doll.

"Ouch…" she said it half-heartily. In actual fact she was feeling a bit more than 'Ouch' but what was the point in complaining anymore?

The Joker climbed in behind her and sat on the floor. Luna likewise sat up against the now-closed doors of the back of the van. The suspense was terrifying. What did he have in store for her?

*****

'_The bridge and tunnel crowd are short for a surprise. Ha Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.'_

Bruce turned the TV off and frowned. He had something planned for the residents of Gotham and it was stressing him out big time, not knowing what exactly it was.

"Into your suit again sir?" Alfred inquired.

"Looks like it Alfred. The Joker is on the move."

*****

By 7:00 pm Luna was stationed at the very top of a tall building she didn't even know the name of. It just shows you how big Gotham really is and when you think you know something, you can be proved wrong.

The Joker left her alone with the words, _'Im going to do some business. Take care and don't scream.' _

Charming the man was. Simply charming. She was cuffed to a rusty pipe so she wouldn't try to run away. She couldn't even step forward a little bit. The only thing she _could _do was sit on the floor. As I said; the man was a charmer.

For a further 4 hours she sat alone; yanking at her handcuffs and cursing as loud as she could. She was cold, hungry and lonely.

The Joker returned at 11:10pm on the button. How did Luna know this? Because the Joker had placed a clock on the wall. She had no idea why. Was it to torture her even more? Well it worked…the 'tic's and 'toc's of the clock were driving her crazy, as they echoed off the empty, spacious walls of the room she sat in.

"I heard you shouting while I was downstairs. What's on your mind Looonah?" he gave his trademark smile, the one which would give the Cheshire cat a run for his money.

"Can you let me out of these cuffs? Please…"

He clicked his tongue, "No can do babe. I'm expecting the Bat to show up. I wouldn't want you running to him before the show began."

She sighed and banged her head off the wall behind her forcefully. Stars appeared for a moment, but she closed her eyes. Maybe if she closed them forever she'd fall into eternity maybe…just maybe…

"Hey wakey wakey!" the Joker snapped his fingers in front of her face and her eyes snapped open, "I want you to meet some of my friends."

She swallowed a lump forming in her throat. The Joker? Friends? That can't be good.

She heard a distant snarling and a faint growling noise. She craned her neck to see behind his back. What the hell?

Three huge rottweilers walked clumsily towards the wide window and positioned themselves in a circle. Well that wasn't surprising. The Joker was inhuman, he had inhuman friends.

Luna's forehead crinkled into a frustrated frown. The Joker seen this and could not help but gloat, "They're big aren't they? They're also quite…uh…short-tempered."

Luna licked her lips nervously, "What are they for?"

"I told you already. The Bat will be coming."

'_Poor Bruce' _she couldn't help, but think. Still, she was glad that there was a chance of him coming. There was a chance of escaping alive then.

The Joker walked to the corner of the room and whipped out a mobile phone; something Luna couldn't help but be surprised at. A mobile phone was easily tracked.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Tonight you are going to be part of a social experiment…"

Luna's attention was averted from the oddness of him keeping a mobile phone…to the Joker and his 'conversation.'

"So who's it going to be…? Harvey Dent's collection of most-wanted scumbags…? Or the sweet and innocent civilians? _You choose_. Oh! And you might want to decide quickly because the people on the other boat might not be quite…. so…noble."

He turned to Luna after hanging up on the phone. "11:15. Boy this ought'a be _fun_."

Her eyes widened. How many people did she know on the ship? How many would die?

He walked towards her and crouched down, "why so serious doll face?" He broke into fits of laughter and the dogs barked angrily.

It was going to be a long night…

*****

Lucius was able to locate the Joker by tracking where his voice was coming from. Mobile phones were easy to track…if you had the right equipment. And he did.

So Gordon called in the S.W.A.T teams and Batman rolled into the building on his Batpod. Batman was greeted with the fact that the teams were targeting the wrong people and the SWAT teams are only required to do as ordered. So as you can imagine it was extremely difficult to take on hundreds of armed men without injuring the hostages in clown masks or himself.

With a successful last punch in the face, Batman pissed the SWAT team off enough, that they yanked the clown masks off several people. _Then _they realized how wrong they were.

It could have been controlled a lot better if it had not been for Gordon's enthusiasm to catch the Joker. Can we blame him?

Right… this was rushed, but I can't keep y'all waiting  I'm so sorry for leaving it for so long. I had an art exam and coursework and lalala..!! Thanks for reading. There is only one chapter left… disappointed? Xo


	20. the end?

Batman's cape fluttered angrily as he ascended upwards. He was so close to the Joker. He would not let him escape this time.

He reached the bottom of the top flight of stairs and unhooked his utility belt from the banister. The sound of soft growling could be heard along with muttering and murmurs.

He hissed and quickened his walking pace, still careful not to make a sound. As he reached the top stair he could clearly make out someone grunting and moaning and…a grinding noise of metal on metal.

Batman hesitated before making his entrance. Was this something he wanted to walk in on? What was going on in there?

Shrugging it off he peeked into the spacious room. The Joker, to his surprise was standing by the large windows. Luna, as it seemed was the one making all the noise. She was cuffed to a pipe running along the floor. She grunted and moaned as she tugged on the handcuffs. They slid along the pipe, creating a horrible grinding noise, but that's all they did. She couldn't tear herself free.

"Oh will you shut up!" the Joker snapped, "you should be a bit more grateful."

"Grateful for what?" she gave up and wiped her forehead on her sleeve.

The Joker tutted. He was not a very temperate man. "For getting out of the house."

She sighed, but a spark appeared in her eyes when she spotted one of the dogs; the one closest to her. "Stupid mutt…" she muttered. "Hey you stupid dog! Com'ere!"

"What are you…?" the Joker started.

"Yo!" Luna started shouting and the dog growled dangerously. She leant as forward as she possibly could and screamed in the dog's face. It snarled and opened its jaws to take a chunk of out her face. She saw the sharp rows of teeth it had and smelled the stench of blood on its breath. She closed her eyes, bracing herself.

~BANG!~

She screamed at the sound of gunfire, but with her hands cuffed, she could not cover to ears to prevent the vibrations entering her lobe. The loud, sharp sound, she was familiar with, but with her eyes closed, she was lead to believe that she was dead.

She braved the open her lids a fraction and almost sighed with relief when she spotted the large bulk of a dead dog at her feet. She fully opened her eyes and glanced at the Joker. He stood towering above her, casting a large shadow over her. She could not see his face, but the anger seemed to radiate from his figure. He was livid.

He leant close into her face, "Y'know…I'm sick of you acting this way. You've been very very naught-…"

The two remaining dogs suddenly started barking loudly. Luna and the Joker looked to see the intrusion. "Batman," Luna whispered. She couldn't believe it.

The Joker's tongue darted in and out of his mouth, "Oh you made it. I'm so thrilled." His sarcasm showed his frustration and anger.

"Where's the detonator?" the low voice growled.

"Mmm?" he tilted his head to the side slightly and then motioned to the dogs, "Go get 'im."

They leaped at him, tongues flopping out of their mouths, their teeth bared with rabid hunger. Luna remembered what Gordon told her about the mob dogs; _"They're always hungry. The mob leaders starve them most of the time. That way when they are released they kill without mercy. If you ever run into one of them, kill it. Being gentle will only quicken your death."_

She was glad she managed to kill one of the dogs. Well…the Joker did. Batman was struggling enough with two, never mind three.

The Joker was bouncing on his feet eagerly, a crowbar in his right hand. She didn't know where it came from, but she knew it could do a lot of damage.

He waited for the opportune moment and then launched himself at Batman, growling like a dog himself.

"No!" Luna cried, but to no avail. The Joker pounded Batman's face with the metal bar and forced him to fall onto his back into a large net. "Stop!"

The dogs continued to gnaw at his suit, but thankfully, it seemed to protect him. She doubted it would protect him from crowbars though.

Batman stumbled to his feet and knocked the two dogs flying down the stairs. He looked around the room cautiously; the Joker had seemed to disappear.

Luna mimicked his movement. She couldn't see him anywhere. "Bru-…"

"Ssh!" he held a finger to his lips and walked towards the large windows. It was eerily quiet.

Her breath came ragged; she hated not knowing where he was. When he would strike. Suddenly the sound of running footsteps could be heard. "Watch out!"

The Joker smashed the crowbar into his head and knocked him out the window. Luna started screaming, but the Joker followed Batman out of the window.

She clasped her mouth tightly with her hand. Obviously there was another surface out there; she didn't hear a landing thump.

The Joker sat on Batman and broke a metal barrier, crashing it down onto his neck. Batman struggled furiously, but had to keep his hands by his neck to prevent being suffocated.

"We should really stop this fighting otherwise we'll miss the fireworks!"

"There… won't… be… any fireworks!" Batman's words were even rougher than usual.

"And here. We. Go." The Joker grinned and held his hand in the air.

Luna glanced at the clock. It was a few minutes past midnight. She held her hands together in silent prayer. She never trusted God, or ever tried to make contact with him. She often questioned his purpose due to the different people she has had to deal with in the past, but now… she prayed with all her might.

There was a tense silence. Only the clock could be heard. Ticking. And tocking.

The Joker was confused. He looked back at the clock. It was now five minutes past. Growling, he threw the crowbar to the side.

"What were you trying to prove? That deep down everyone's as ugly as you? You're alone," Batman rasped.

He rolled his eyes, "You can't rely on anyone these days; you gotta do _everything-ah _yourself. DON'T we?" He whipped out the detonator from his inside pocket, "don't worry. I've come prepared. It's a funny world we live in. Speaking of which, you know how I got these scars?"

"No…but I know…how you got these!" mini black blades flew out of Batman's gloves and hit the Joker in the face.

"Ow!" he lifted his hands up to his face. Batman seized this opportunity and flung him over the barrier and into gloom.

Luna could not see what was happening, all she heard was the insane echo of the Joker's laughter getting quieter and quieter.

She heard a few mutters and after a few minutes, Batman entered the room again. He used a small incisor to unlock her handcuffs and lifted her over his shoulder. She couldn't believe it. She was going home.

As she turned the corner, she spotted the Joker hanging upside down. Looks like Batman couldn't let him go after all.

The S.W.A.T teamed pooled into the room and pointed their guns at the Joker. One spoke into his speaker, "We got 'im."

*****

Luna awoke the next morning in a hospital bed. Her vision blurred as the bright light burned her eyes.

"Good you're awake." The calm voice of Bruce Wayne was like music to her ears. It had been far too long since she heard it.

"Bruce…?" she squinted and made out his warm, handsome face. "Oh my god Bruce!" She broke down into tears. "Oh my god!" she sobbed.

Bruce smiled, "I don't think I've ever seen you cry in my life. Well… once…when I fell down the well remember?"

She nodded, choking on her tears. "I can't…" She tried to retain normality by breathing slowly, "I can't believe…I'm…here."

"Well…you gotta believe it."

She nodded again. Bruce looked like he was about to say something, but he couldn't.

"Want…to say…something?" she smiled.

"Yeah…" he cleared his throat, "I'm so glad you're back safe and sound. You mean a lot to me."

Luna nodded again and tried to say it back, but her tears prevented her from doing so.

Bruce covered her mouth with his hands, "You don't need to say it back. I can tell you've a thing for me too." He winked and stood up.

"You're going…?" she choked.

"Yeah. I just wanted to see you awake. Gordon's transferring the Joker to Arkham and he's asked for my watch to ensure that he doesn't escape."

"Gordon…" she whispered.

"Yes," he smiled again, "he's been here already, but you were asleep. He didn't have the heart to waken you. He'll be back later."

Her bottom lip trembled. It was just so overwhelming.

Bruce turned to leave, but clicked his fingers remembering something, "Oh! And you're father too."

"My father?" Luna gasped.

"Yes…he was dying of worry and has reconciled. He has his own place now and is piecing his life back together. Looks like that hit around the head knocked some sense into him."

Luna let out a choked laugh. Bruce left the room. "My father…" she whispered. She was in so much shock.

*****

A few weeks later, Luna got out of hospital. She still had to attend physiotherapy and had a crutch, but other than that she was free.

Bruce told her, she was free to stay at his house and she would do just that. She also asked Gordon for a police escort; the Joker may be locked in Arkham, but she was still very much traumatized.

The first week of her stay at the hospital was warm, happy and welcoming. She caught up on all the missed bizz and gossip. She talked to her father (which wrenched a few more tears out of her eyes) and slept well at night in a warm, Joker-free bed. However, the last few weeks were distressing. The Joker appeared in her dreams, so realistic and cut up on revenge that she awoke screaming and disturbed other patients. She had to be doped up on drugs most of the time as she kept having random panic attacks. Paranoia set in; the nurses started whispering about her; about sending her to Arkham. This made her more distressed. She feared that she was going insane. She cried daily. People stopped visiting her because she was unstable. She had the shakes; the phobia of being sent to Arkham, into the hands of that monster again. Everything was too much. The urge to slit her own throat became more and more enticing.

When all seemed lost, a light appeared in the tunnel. She stopped crying and started telling people about her traumatic experience with the Joker. The more she let things off her chest, the more the nurses understood and could start to properly help her. With the help of a few therapeutic courses, she seemed stable enough to enter the real world again.

Now…I wouldn't say it was a happily ever after. She had buried the negative things into the back of her mind, but we all know that they never stay there. It will come back to haunt her and drive her on the brink of insanity again. Luna, herself knew this, but she was determined to enjoy life before that happened and who knows…maybe under Bruce's protection something miraculous might happen.

*****

Luna didn't return to work. Police-work was not the job for her anymore. Maybe…it never was. She didn't know what she would do; she didn't want to live off Bruce's riches forever. That would be unfair, but she wasn't ready to embrace the prospect of a future just yet.

The Joker sat in his padded cell, licking his lips and waiting. Waiting for what? Not an escape, but something more… sinister.

He walked to the door; his arms wrapped around his body inside his straight jacket and looked out the narrow window. "Looonah…"

_She jumped into a taxi (well she couldn't jump with her ankle, but rather…got in enthusiastically.) _

"_Where to sweetheart?" the taxi driver turned and gave her a yellow-toothed grin._

_She froze, her heart hammering in her chest. He reminded her of someone. "Um… um…Wayne tower…pl-please…" she stammered. _

_He gave her a funny look, and then turned to the steering wheel. Luna sat rigid in her seat, scared to death. "Calm down…" she ordered herself, but she started sweating. The car abruptly started and she let out a small whimper. Outside images flashed too quickly to be deciphered. She felt like she was in a different world in that taxi. _

_He looked into his mirror and smiled again causing Luna to start shaking. Those teeth…those teeth…_

_The taxi driver knew what was going on, but he continued driving at ease with himself. _

_Luna sank her nails into the seat and her eyes widened. Pills…she needed her pills. She glanced at her handbag. It was too far away. _

_Finally the taxi driver stopped, outside Wayne Tower and took out his mobile. "Don't worry sweetheart…I'll call an ambulance."_

"_St-st-stop calling me th-that," her breath caught in her chest. Why didn't the man turn back to the hospital while he was still close? Why was he choosing to be outside Wayne Tower before phoning help? _

The Joker smiled cruelly out of his window at passing doctors. Nobody gave him a notice. He was just crazy after all. He spoke to nobody in particular, "My _sh-weet _Looonah…if I can't have you…"

A realization struck Luna. Call her paranoid, call her crazy if you must, but she had the foreboding feeling that this man was going to do something awful.

_He pushed the call button. _

_Bruce was watching intently from his window. Why wasn't Luna getting out of the taxi? _

_There was a weird ticking noise coming from the engine. It ticked through Luna's brain like a clock. She opened her mouth to speak…_

_~BANG!~ _

_The car exploded; a vibration rushing through the windows of Bruce's house, shattering them to a million pieces. He leaped across the room and lay on the floor, covering his head with his arms. The noise alone almost blew his ears off. His eyes blacked out. Shards of glass fell around him. _

_Eventually…the noise stopped. Bruce feared that he had gone deaf, but he feared something more. Ignoring the loud buzzing sound in his ears and his dizziness and Alfred's voice, he stumbled out of the house. _

"_No!" he shouted. All that remained of the car were broken shards of glass, burning rubber and a pile of burned yellow metal. He ran and tripped over his destroyed gate. Flames licked the side of his face, but he didn't care. He shrieked like an animal as he tried to lift the scalding pieces of metal to find his friend._

"_LUNA!" he shouted, "LUNA!" The sound of a fire engine could be heard in the distance. He spotted a mangled body. It had no legs; they had been blown off in the explosion. It was lying face down under the remains of the car door. It had dirty blonde hair. _

_Bruce crawled over to it, sobs already escaping his throat. He reached the pathetic mess of Luna's body and scrabbled under the car door to pull her out. He dragged her out and onto his lap. Her mouth was agape, blood pouring out of it, her eyes still open, but her lashes singed. The left side of her face had serious burns, but the right could not be seen under a cover of black soot. "OH GOD!" he buried his face in her straw-like hair. It smelt horribly of burning flesh, but he sobbed into it nonetheless. _

_Near the sobbing man was the dead taxi driver. The explosion did not affect his body as much as Luna's. One thing to notice was his smile. It was still there; forever etched upon his face and his yellow teeth had not been covered by soot. They were as clear as day; a symbol of the real murderer. _

"Nobody can have you…" the tongue flickered in and out of the mouth. The red scars strained against his skin, almost looking as if they had just been inflicted; yellow teeth flashing anybody who bothered to glance at the Joker, as they passed his cell.

*****

**The end! Mwaha! Yeah… I killed her. I almost can't believe I did it myself…but I didn't want to make it possible to have a sequel. It also made it a lot more dramatic, and realistic. You must hate me all now **** Honestly...i started hating my character..and you guys know that we should have a healthy relationship with our own character. This was my solution.**** Thanks so much for you're reviews and for reading. It kept me going all the way. Xo**


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